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Key points
- Army Chief General Naravane and FS Shringla recently visited Myanmar
- India also agreed to deliver other military supplies to the eastern nation.
New Delhi: Amid growing Chinese dominance in the region, India will deliver a Kilo INS Sindhuvir-class submarine to the Myanmar Navy. “This will be the first submarine of the Myanmar Navy,” Anurag Srivastava, a spokesman for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MEA) said during a briefing here on Thursday.
The transfer of military equipment follows the recent visit of the Chief of the Army, General MM Naravane, and Foreign Secretary Harsh Vardhan Shringla to Myanmar. During that visit, which took place earlier this month, India agreed to supply artillery weapons, tanks, bulletproof vests and other similar equipment to the Tatmadaw, the Myanmar army. New Delhi was already in the process of transferring the conventional submarine, refurbished by state-owned Hindustan Shipyards Limited, to Myanmar at the time of the visit.
Act in line with India’s ‘Go East’ policy
In underscoring the importance India attaches to the East Asian nation, the government said in a statement: “India attaches a high priority to its relationship with Myanmar in accordance with its’ Neighborhood First ‘and’ Act on the East’. In recent times, both parties have strengthened their cooperation in various areas, including connectivity and trade, development projects, energy, capacity building, defense; and safety and culture, and links between people. ”
The move can be seen in the context of China’s growing footprint in the Indian Ocean region. India has been directly affected by Beijing’s expansionist designs, which have been criticized by global powers, including the United States. The armies of India and China have been locked in a bitter confrontation along the Royal Line of Control (LAC) since the beginning of this year.
Srivastava also criticized China for its comments on the Union Territories of Ladakh and Jammu and Kashmir, saying: “The Union Territories of Ladakh, Jammu and Kashmir have been, are and will continue to be an integral part of India. China. it does not have a locus standi to comment on the internal affairs of India. “
