India's army chief, foreign secretary to visit Myanmar

India's army chief MM Naravane and Foreign Secretary Harsh Shringla will visit Myanmar next week. The visit comes even as China has been trying to increase influence in India's neighbourhood.

This is the first visit of the army chief outside the country amid the COVID pandemic and India China tensions at the Line of Actual Control (LAC). Notably, army chief MM Naravane has served as India's defence attache to Myanmar in the past.

This will be Shringla's second trip outside the country amid the pandemic. He has already visited Bangladesh. Last week, he had a virtual meet with his Myanmar counterpart -- Permanent Secretary, U Soe Han. He informed that New Delhi would operationalise the Sittwe port in the first quarter of next year .

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Shringla said, "Despite the challenges caused by the COVID pandemic, we are working towards operationalising the Sittwe Port by the first quarter of next year."

COVID crisis, the vaccine, Rohingya repatriation were other key issues of the meet.

On the security front, Myanmar recently handed over of 22 Indian insurgents which was "deeply appreciated by the Government of India and sends a strong message of deterrence to inimical elements on both sides," FS Shringla said at the meet.