Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday held bilateral talks with Myanmar President U Min Aung Hlaing in New Delhi, focusing on strengthening cooperation in trade, defence, connectivity and border security. The discussions covered several key areas of mutual interest and highlighted the importance both countries place on their long-standing relationship.

President Aung Hlaing is on a five-day visit to India. His visit comes less than two months after he assumed office as Myanmar’s president following parliamentary elections held in December and January. The elections marked a significant political development in Myanmar after years of unrest that followed the military coup of February 1, 2021. The coup had removed the democratically elected government led by Aung San Suu Kyi and triggered widespread protests across the country.

The meeting between the two leaders took place at Hyderabad House in New Delhi. Sharing details of the visit, Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal posted on X, “Deepening the bonds of friendship and cooperation. PM @narendramodi greets President U Min Aung Hlaing of Myanmar upon his arrival at the Hyderabad House for bilateral talks.”

During the talks, both sides reviewed the progress of bilateral relations and explored opportunities to further expand cooperation. The discussions focused on enhancing trade and investment ties, improving connectivity, boosting development partnerships and increasing collaboration in capacity building. Security and border management also remained important subjects during the meeting.

Providing further details, Jaiswal said, “PM @narendramodi held wide-ranging discussions with President U Min Aung Hlaing of Myanmar on further deepening India-Myanmar bilateral ties. Anchored in the enduring historical and people-to-people relationship, both sides agreed to advance India-Myanmar partnership for peace, progress and prosperity and to further collaborate in areas of trade, investment, connectivity, development partnership, capacity building, security and border management.”

India and Myanmar share close historical and cultural ties. The relationship is also strategically important because Myanmar shares a 1,640-kilometre border with India. The border stretches across several northeastern states, including Nagaland and Manipur, making cooperation on security and border management a key aspect of bilateral engagement.

The discussions also reflected India’s broader regional priorities under its Neighbourhood First and Act East policies. According to the MEA spokesperson, Prime Minister Modi reiterated India’s commitment to supporting Myanmar in multiple areas and highlighted the strong partnership between the two nations.

Jaiswal stated that Prime Minister Modi conveyed to President Aung Hlaing that India remains Myanmar’s “trusted neighbour, a reliable partner and steadfast first responder in times of crisis, in line with India’s Neighbourhood First, Act East and MAHASAGAR policies.”

The Prime Minister also expressed India’s willingness to contribute to peace and stability efforts in Myanmar. According to Jaiswal, “PM reaffirmed India’s readiness to support peace and dialogue in Myanmar, including by sharing federal governance and economic growth experiences.”

The meeting underlined the commitment of both countries to strengthen cooperation across various sectors and deepen their partnership in the years ahead. With trade, connectivity, security and development remaining at the centre of discussions, the visit is expected to further boost India-Myanmar relations.

As part of his ongoing visit, President Aung Hlaing is scheduled to travel to Mumbai on June 2, where he will hold interactions with business and industry representatives. The engagements are expected to explore opportunities for greater economic cooperation and investment between the two countries.