New Delhi: External affairs minister S Jaishankar on Sunday raised the issue of human and drug trafficking with his Myanmar counterpart U Than Swe, and also expressed New Delhi’s concern about the humanitarian situation prevailing there.
Jaishankar also underlined the importance of ensuring peace and stability in border areas of both the countries. “These have been seriously disturbed recently and any actions that aggravate the situation should be avoided,” Jaishankar tweeted after meeting his Mynamar counterpart.
Jaishankar met Swe on the sidelines of the Mekong Ganga Cooperation (MGC) meeting in Bangkok. He had arrived in Bangkok on Saturday from Jakarta, where the foreign minister has participated in the ASEAN foreign ministers meet.
“Met H.E. U Than Swe on the sidelines of the Mekong Ganga Cooperation (MGC) meeting in Bangkok today. Flagged concerns about human and drug trafficking. Urged stronger cooperation among relevant parties for the early return of trafficked victims. As an immediate neighbour, India is concerned about the humanitarian situation in Myanmar,” Jaishankar tweeted after the meeting with Swe.
The EAM also proposed people-centric initiatives aimed to address the pressing challenges in Myanmar to Swe during the meeting. “Our discussions focussed on connectivity initiatives that have a larger regional significance. These will also be discussed at the MGC meeting this afternoon. Stressed the importance of expediting projects that have faced challenges in the recent past, especially the India-Myanmar-Thailand trilateral highway,” he informed further.
Jaishankar further conveyed in the meeting with the Myanmar foreign minister that India supports the democratic transition process in Myanmar and highlighted the need for return of peace and stability. “We will closely coordinate our policy with ASEAN in this regard,” he tweeted further.