Sushma meets Aung San Suu Kyi

External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj on Monday met Myanmar's State Counsellor and Foreign Minister Aung San Suu Kyi here.

"An old friend of India, a new partner in progress. EAM meets Daw Aung San Suu Kyi, State Counsellor & FM of Myanmar," External Affairs Ministry spokesperson Vikas Swarup tweeted along with pictures of the two leaders.

This is the first high-level visit from India to Myanmar after Suu Kyi's National League for Democracy (NLD) assumed power earlier this year.

After arriving in Nay Pyi Taw earlier on Monday, Sushma Swaraj first met Myanmar President U Htin Kyaw.

"Enhancing linkages with Myanmar's new Govwernment. EAM @SushmaSwaraj calls on President U Htin Kyaw in 1st engagement," Swarup said in another tweet.

Sushma Swaraj is being accompanied by Foreign Secretary S. Jaishankar and other senior officials of the Ministry of External Affairs.

During the 15th round of Foreign Office Consultations in New Delhi earlier this month, India and Myanmar reviewed the entire gamut of bilateral issues, including high-level visits, security and defence-related issues, boundary matters and border management, trade and commerce, development cooperation, connectivity, cultural and consular matters.

They also exchanged views on issues of mutual interest at regional and multilateral forums.

The consultations are of special significance as these were the first institutionalised exchanges between India and Myanmar after the swearing-in of the new NLD government in Myanmar on March 30 this year.

In the intervening period, National Security Advisor Ajit Doval on June 16 visited Myanmar as a special envoy of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, while Minister of State for Commerce and Industry Nirmala Sitharaman earlier led a high-level business delegation to the eastern neighbour for the India-Myanmar Business Conclave on May 18-20.

Last month, in a meeting with Minister of State for External Affairs V.K. Singh on the sidelines of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean) Foreign Ministers' Meeting in Laos, Suu Kyi said that she looked forward to visiting India.

As her country's constitution bars her from becoming President, the Nobel Peace laureate serves as the State Counsellor and Foreign Minister.

Suu Kyi made her first visit in her current capacity to China last week.

--IANS

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