PM Modi meets head of Myanmar's military government

Bangkok: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday met Myanmar's Senior General Min Aung Hlaing, as his country grapples with the aftermath of the massive earthquake that killed thousands last week.

Modi met Senior General Min, the head of Myanmar's military government, on the sidelines of the Summit meeting of the leaders of the Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral and Technical Cooperation (BIMSTEC) grouping.

The BIMSTEC grouping is a regional initiative involving countries in India’s neighbourhood.

India has launched Operation Brahma to help relief efforts in the earthquake-hit Myanmar, where a military coup in February 2021 brought Senior General Min to power.

Myanmar is considered a cog in the wheel for the success of BIMSTEC, whose key aim is to promote connectivity between the member nations.  All the key projects to connect the member nations pass through Myanmar where the local administration has little control in the different regions of the country.

The massive earthquake opened an opportunity for Myanmar to engage with the global comity of nations as it seeks humanitarian assistance to recover from the earthquake.

Over 3,000 people have died in the Myanmar earthquake, nearly 5,000 have been injured, and over 370 remain missing nationwide.

Senior General Min also attended an official dinner for leaders of the BIMSTEC nations that also includes Thailand, Myanmar, Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Nepal and Sri Lanka.

The Thai Ministry of Foreign Affairs said BIMSTEC members discussed disaster management during ministerial meetings on Thursday.