Source: Hueiyen News Service
Agartala, October 26 2008:
UNION MINISTER of State for Commerce, Jairam Ramesh on Sunday said that Myanmar had become a country of critical importance to India in terms of trade and commerce
as Bangladesh has denied transit and access to Chittagong port for the people of the North-East.
"Myanmar is of critical importance to us because being denied access to
Chittagong port in Bangladesh, India is now developing Sittwe port in Myanmar for carrying goods from Kolkata to Sittwe for the North-East," he said.
"Whenever, I visited
Dhaka or meet Bangladeshi leaders, I made it a point to discuss our demand for access to Chittagong port and transit for the people of northeast through Bangladesh,
but they were always buying time on the plea that they were studying our proposal.
It seems they are very studious", he added.
He said Sittwe port would provide an
alternative route for trade and commerce through Mizoram.
There was only one centre for border trade at Moreh in Manipur with Myanmar which share 1600 km long border with
India.
There would be two more free trade centres with that country at Zoukhathar in Mizoram and Abakhung in Nagaland.
However, he said, India would continue its dialogue
with Bangladesh for access to Chittagong port and transit and transshipment through the country.