Sittwe port to enhance bilateral trade between Indo-Myanmar, boost the economy in NE region: Sonowal

Union Shipping Minister Sarbananda Sonowal said that the Indo-Myanmar project is going to help both nations, particularly the entire northeastern region. Businessmen can take access to this connectivity for trade and it will be cost-effective and environment friendly, writes ETV Bharat's Chandrakala Choudhury.

New Delhi:Union Minister for Ports, Shipping and Waterways and AYUSH Sarbananda Sonowal and Deputy Prime Minister and Union Minister for Transport and Communications Admiral Tin Aung San of Myanmar jointly inaugurated the Sittwe Port in Rakhine State of Myanmar on Tuesday. During the event, they received the first Indian cargo ship, which was flagged off from Syama Prasad Mookerjee Port, Kolkata.

Speaking to ETV Bharat, Union Shipping Minister Sarbananda Sonowal said, "This particular Indo-Myanmar project is going to help both the nations, particularly the entire northeastern region. Businessmen can take access to this connectivity for trade and it will be cost-effective and environment friendly. Shortly, I believe the economic activity in the region will grow faster and the northeast will be highly benefitted out of this".

The operationalisation of Sittwe Port would enhance bilateral and regional trade as well as contribute to the local economy of the Rakhine State of Myanmar. The greater connectivity provided by the port will lead to employment opportunities and enhanced growth prospects in the region. In his remarks at the inauguration ceremony, Union Minister for Ports, Shipping and Waterways highlighted the close historical, cultural and economic ties between India and Myanmar, particularly the Rakhine State of Myanmar.

He reiterated India’s longstanding commitment to the development and prosperity of the people of Myanmar through developmental initiatives such as the Sittwe Port. This project was conceptualised to provide alternative connectivity of Mizoram with Haldia/Kolkata/any Indian ports through the Kaladan river in Myanmar.

The project envisages highway/road transport from Mizoram to Paletwa (Myanmar), thereafter from Paletwa to Sittwe (Myanmar) by Inland Water Transport (IWT), and from Sittwe to any port in India by maritime shipping. The port has been developed as a part of the Kaladan Multi-Modal Transit Transport Project (KMTTP) funded under grant-in-aid assistance from the Government of India. Once fully operationalised the waterway and road components of KMTTP will link the East Coast of India to the north eastern states through the Sittwe port.