India and Myanmar are set to deepen their energy cooperation, with several key initiatives currently underway, according to Abhay Thakur, India’s Ambassador to Myanmar. The growing partnership is expected to be driven by strategic agreements and sectoral collaboration, including in shipping, solar energy, and trade.
Speaking to ANI on Friday, Ambassador Thakur said, “We have a number of reasons why India-Myanmar energy cooperation would be more intense in the future… A coastal shipping agreement, which is in the works, would make this energy cooperation, particularly gasoline and diesel supplies, attractive for Myanmar.”
He also pointed to India’s ongoing efforts to enhance bilateral trade mechanisms, stating, “We are also working hard to increase the volume of the rupee chart settlement trade.”
Highlighting collaboration in renewable energy, the Ambassador emphasized the importance of solar initiatives: “We also have collaboration, including in particular, in the solar energy sector under the Joint Working Groups (JWGs) on Power. All of this, put together, has the potential of boosting India-Myanmar energy cooperation.”
In addition to energy collaboration, Ambassador Thakur underscored India’s rapid humanitarian response following the devastating earthquake that struck Myanmar on March 28, claiming over 3,000 lives. He noted that India was one of the first nations to offer assistance, delivering critical supplies within 24 hours.
“We were the first responders, providing a helping hand to Myanmar in their time of need within 24 hours,” Thakur said. “Our assistance exceeds 1,000 tonnes of a range of HADR [Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Relief] material, including gen sets, kitchen sets, all kinds of humanitarian assistance and disaster relief, food, meals ready to eat. We’re also bringing in rice and cooking oil. We set up a field hospital for medicines, so there is a very wide-ranging response, and this has been noticed by the government and the people of Myanmar.”
The international community has also stepped in to support Myanmar. The Quad nations—India, the United States, Australia, and Japan—have pledged over USD 20 million in humanitarian aid for the crisis-stricken country.
In a joint statement, the Quad expressed solidarity with Myanmar and acknowledged the catastrophic impact of the earthquake: “We, the Quad partners, have so far committed humanitarian assistance estimated at a combined value of over USD 20 million. Through our funding and bilateral efforts, we are delivering relief supplies and deploying emergency medical teams and supporting humanitarian partners working in Myanmar to provide care for those affected by the earthquake.”
The statement also offered condolences for the significant loss of life and destruction of infrastructure, particularly in light of Myanmar’s already fragile humanitarian situation.
(Inputs from ANI)
