Govt to sign motor transport pact with Myanmar, Thailand

Agreement will be signed by last week of March or first week of April, 2016

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India is set to sign a motor transport agreement with Myanmar and Thailand for seamless movement of cargo among these countries next year.

"The agreement, the protocol for which is being finalised, will be signed by the last week of March or the first week of April, 2016," Union Road Transport and Highways Secretary Vijay Chibber said after flagging off the trial-run of a cargo vehicle under the Bangladesh-Bhutan-India-Nepal (BBIN) sub-regional initiative for uninterrupted cargo movement.

The agreement was earlier scheduled to be signed by December this year.

"The delay is owing to elections in Myanmar which we have been told will take three months to be completed," Chibber said.

Once the election process in Myanmar is over, the landmark agreement among the three countries would be signed, he said.

The agreement would be signed in Myanmar, Chibber said, adding "there is growing convergence among all these countries for opening up roads to every country's benefit."

The signing of the India-Myanmar-Thailand (IMT) agreement on the lines of the BBIN initiative, which will throw open seamless movement of cargo, passenger and private vehicles would give a huge boost to economic activities among these countries in the region, he said.