On Wednesday, the Deputy Prime Minister and Union Minister for Transport & Communications of Myanmar, Admiral Tin Aung San, and the Indian Union Minister for Ports, Shipping and Waterways, Sarbananda Sonowal, jointly inaugurated the vital Sittwe Port in India. At the occasion, they welcomed the first Indian cargo ship, which had set sail from Kolkata’s Syama Prasad Mookerjee Port.
The port, which was constructed with Indian aid, will be crucial for connectivity and will cut the cost and duration of shipping products between Kolkata, Agartala, and Aizwal by 50%.
At the ceremony, Union Minister Sarbananda Sonowal stated, ‘This will promote trade connectivity and people to people ties between India and Myanmar and the wider region and will help boost economic development of NE states under the ‘Act East Policy’ of the Government.’
In India’s Kaladan Multi-Modal Transit Transport Project, Sittwe Port provides a connectivity. Kolkata in eastern India and Sittwe on the western coast of Myanmar are connected via a sea lane. The corridor then travels inland into Myanmar along the Kaladan River and a road before entering northeastern India.
‘The operationalisation of Sittwe Port would enhance bilateral and regional trade as well as contribute to the local economy of Rakhine State of Myanmar. The greater connectivity provided by the Port will lead to employment opportunities and enhanced growth prospects in the region,’ said a press release issued by the ports ministry.
Through projects like the Sittwe Port, Union Minister Sonowal reaffirmed India’s long-standing commitment to the prosperity and development of the people of Myanmar.
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