Modi congratulates Suu Kyi on victory

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday called up democracy icon Aung San Suu Kyi and congratulated her for the landslide victory of her party in the recent elections in Myanmar.

Modi also invited Suu Kyi for a visit to India and assured her of New Delhi’s continued support to Myanmar. Prime Minister called the leader of the National League for Democracy (NLD) from onboard the special Air India aircraft while flying from Delhi to London for a three-day visit to the United Kingdom.

“Spoke to Daw Aung San Suu Kyi & congratulated her. India will be delighted to welcome her,” Modi tweeted, soon after arriving here on a three-day visit,” the prime minister posted on Twitter, shortly after Air India One landed at Heathrow International Airport in London.

Suu Kyi’s party now seems set to get absolute majority in the lower house of Myanmar’s parliament and well ahead in the lower house as well as regional and state legislatures. Myanmar’s president Thein Sein, who leads the ruling Union Solidarity and Development Party, endorsed the NLD’s victory and vowed to transfer power peacefully.

Myanmar’s powerful armed forces, Tatmadaw, which backs the ruling USDP, also congratulated the NLD for its victory, raising hope for early completion of the protracted transition to democracy in the country that had been ruled by military junta for years.

“Diplomacy aboard Air India 1! PM called Daw Aung San Suu Kyi, congratulated her on her electoral victory and invited her to visit India,” Vikas Swarup, official spokesperson of the Ministry of External Affairs, posted on Twitter.

Swarup added that the prime minister conveyed to NLD leader that India would always stand ready to assist Myanmar in its journey to progress and development.