Fate of Kaladan Project, Trilateral Highway hangs in limbo due to instability in Myanmar, Bangladesh
Furtherance of these two projects likely to come up for discussion in the upcoming BIMSTEC Summit in Bangkok
As member states of the Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation (BIMSTEC) gear up to meet for the 6th Summit in Bangkok, Thailand on April 3rd, the fate of significant infrastructure projects like the Kaladan Multi Modal Transit Transport Project (KMMTTP) and the Trilateral Highway between India-Myanmar-Thailand continues to hang in limbo.
(Map of Kaladan project)
Map of Trilateral Highway
The reason for the delay is the political instability in Myanmar.
The Bay of Bengal is a vital maritime corridor that facilitates a significant volume of trade from East Asia upto South East Asia. India had initiated the KMMTTP years back and the completion is already delayed by over 11 years due to the ongoing political instability in Myanmar. The project cost at $484 million is subject to the completion of a 109 km road between Paletwa in Myanmar to Zorinpui in Mizoram.
Similarly the much hyped India-Myanmar-Thailand Trilateral (IMTT) corridor too hasn’t been connected due to the same situation. The highway is expected to connect Moreh in Manipur to Mae Sot in Thailand via Myanmar. Though no timeline has been given for its completion, it was earlier given a deadline of 2019.
``The situation in Myanmar has paused the IMTT Highway project. We cannot allow Myanmar unrest to block something so momentous. Practical solutions will have to be found to ensure the advancement of this initiative,’’ External Affairs Minister, Dr S Jaishankar had said.
``BIMSTEC Summit is a meeting wherein these two projects are likely to be discussed, however, there is little scope of any outcome until there is political stability not just in Myanmar but also neighbouring Bangladesh. Junta chief General Min Aung Hliang is expected to be there for the Summit and there is a possibility of his having a bilateral meeting with Prime Minister Narendra Modi regarding the updates of these two projects,’’ said a source.
General Hlaing is barred from attending other Summits in South East Asia like the ASEAN Summit.
The situation in Myanmar is likely to be discussed during the sessions of the Summit. The political situation in Bangladesh too is a cause of concern for India and the subcontinent and that has added to the woes of the completion of these two projects as they border Bangladesh.
Bangladesh’s Chief of the interim government Prof Yunus will be there for the Summit and is expected to meet PM Modi, though there is no confirmation yet.
Thailand is the third largest economy in ASEAN and India’s fourth largest trading partner after Singapore, Indonesia and Malaysia in the ASEAN region. India’s trade is around $15 billion.
``PM Modi is personally invested in the BIMSTEC and he had invited all their leaders for his inauguration in 2019. India’s focus in BIMSTEC is on institution and capacity building, strengthening security including maritime and cyber security, climate security including disaster preparedness, increased connectivity,’’ said Secretary (East) Ministry of External Affairs Jaideep Mazumdar.
BIMSTEC has seven members - India, Bangladesh, Bhutan, Myanmar, Nepal, Sri Lanka and Thailand who are dependent on the Bay of Bengal. They have a combined gross domestic product of $5.2 trillion (2023) and is home to 1.73 billion people.
(BIMSTEC Summit 2024)
