India has been selective in developing its relationship with its eastern neighbours
- From: Chim <ChimS1@xxxxxxx>
- Date: Tue, 4 Dec 2007 15:45:25 -0800 (PST)
India is choosy about eastern neighbours
By Indian Express
Wednesday December 5, 02:38 AM
India has been selective in developing its relationship with its
eastern neighbours. Over the years, India's merchandise trade with
Asean remained concentrated in five major countries, namely Malaysia,
Indonesia, Singapore, Thailand and to some extent, the Philippines.
In June 1997, the Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral
Technical and Economic Cooperation (BIMST-EC) was set up at a sub-
regional meeting in Thailand comprising countries like Bangladesh,
India, Sri Lanka and Thailand. Subsequently Myanmar, Bhutan and Nepal
joined up and BIMST-EC decided to work out a free-trade framework
agreement. India expected that BIMST-EC would be the gateway for
strengthening its relationship with Asean.
The Mekong-Ganga Cooperation (MGC) came into being from November 10,
2000 at Vientiane and the first ministerial meeting was held at that
time. MCG comprises six countries namely, Thailand, Myanmar, Cambodia,
Laos, Vietnam and India. The emphases are on four areas of
cooperation, which are tourism, culture, education and transportation
linkage in order to be the solid foundation for future trade and
investment cooperation in the region.
But India's policy over the years has been to develop relations with
the influential countries in east and south-east Asia like China,
Japan, South Korea, Malaysia, Indonesia, Thailand, Singapore and the
Philippines. India has not shown a great deal of interest in some of
its other smaller neighbours.
The Cambodian prime minister, Samdech Hun Sen, for instance, was not
accorded a ceremonial welcome when he landed in Delhi on July 9, this
year. He had to leave the country immediately-the reason was-the
nation was mourning the death of the former prime minister, Chandra
Shekhar. However, Sen is again visiting India on December 8, this
year.
In bilateral trade with Cambodia, Laos and Vietman, the trade balance
is heavily weighed in favour of India, while in bilateral trade with
Thailand and Malaysia, the trade balance is not in favour of India. In
2006-07, India's exports to Cambodia grew by 115.63% to be at $52.16
million, while its imports from that country was only $1.58 million.
Similarly, India's exports to Laos in 2005-06 grew by 106.55% to be at
$5.47 million, while its imports from that country was only $0.10
million. India's exports to Vietnam in 2006-07 grew by 42.27% to be at
$982.60 million, while its imports from that country was only $167.65
million. Vietnam has rich deposits of natural gas and oil that can
benefit India in meeting its energy needs. If India develops better
economic cooperation with small countries in the region namely,
Cambodia, Laos and Vietnam, it would help to boost its presence in the
Asean region. Also, there is a need to improve trade and economic
cooperation with Myanmar for strategic reasons. Myanmar has good
reserves of gas and oil that can help India in meeting its energy
needs.
Myanmar grows and exports pulses to India, which is in shortfall in
this essential agro commodity. Increase in border trade with India can
help the landlocked northeastern part of the country with better
prospects. At present border trade in select 22 items is permitted
through three select points, namely Moreh in Manipur, Zowkhathar in
Mizoram and Lungwa in Nagaland. The border trade is severely limited.
Indians are allowed to cross the border with the assurance that they
would return on the same day. It has been proposed to link United Bank
of India at Moreh post in Manipur with Myanmarese Economic Bank at
Tamu. If this happens, the two banks would avail the letter of credit
facilities under which Indian rupee and Myanmarese kyats can be
legally converted.
Cooperation between India and Myanmar is also essential to check
narcotic trade. Myanmar can act as India's gateway to the Asean
through the land route.
India's relations with Myanmar over the past years had been severely
affected due to political reason as the former had criticised the
latter's martial regime. Recently, there has been a shift in the
India's attitude towards Myanmar and the relationship between the two
countries is inching for better. It would be better to integrate
Myanmar into South Asian economy by inviting it to join Saarc. India
should win over less important economies in the Asean region and
counter the growing presence of China, Japan and Korea.
.
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