Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday assured Myanmar that India will continue to fully support the country as it tries to recover from a powerful earthquake. The earthquake, which struck on March 28, caused over 3,000 deaths, injured nearly 5,000 people, and left more than 370 others missing.

PM Modi had an important meeting with Myanmar’s military leader, Senior General Min Aung Hlaing, during the 6th BIMSTEC (Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation) Summit held in Bangkok. This was the first face-to-face meeting between PM Modi and the head of Myanmar’s military government, which took power after a coup in February 2021. During the meeting, PM Modi expressed his heartfelt condolences for the lives lost and assured that India will support Myanmar in every way it can. 

“Met Senior General Min Aung Hlaing of Myanmar on the sidelines of the BIMSTEC Summit in Bangkok. Once again expressed condolences on the loss of lives and damage to property in the wake of the recent earthquake. India is doing whatever is possible to assist our sisters and brothers of Myanmar in this critical time,” the Prime Minister posted on social media platform X. Meanwhile, senior General Min Aung Hlaing praised Prime Minister Modi for the way he managed the 2001 Bhuj earthquake in Gujarat, calling it a great example of successful rebuilding. According to sources, the Myanmar leader said there is a lot to learn from India’s experience in handling disasters and thanked Modi for India’s leadership and support. 

In addition, Prime Minister Narendra Modi met with his Nepalese counterpart, KP Sharma Oli, on Friday during the Sixth BIMSTEC Summit in Bangkok. PM Modi emphasised the significance of the long-standing partnership between the two neighbours during the meeting by saying that "India attaches immense priority to relations with Nepal." Taking to social media, Prime Minister Modi posted, “Had a productive meeting with Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli in Bangkok. India attaches immense priority to relations with Nepal. We discussed different aspects of India-Nepal friendship, especially in sectors like energy, connectivity, culture and digital technology. We also talked about some of the key positive outcomes from this year’s BIMSTEC Summit, especially in areas of disaster management and maritime transport.”

According to the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA), the discussions mainly aimed at strengthening the partnership between the two countries. They focused on working together in areas like development projects, energy cooperation, cultural and people-to-people connections, and improving transport and communication links. “India looks forward to adding even greater momentum to its bilateral ties with Nepal,” MEA Spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal wrote on social media after the meeting.