India, Myanmar to sign initial pact for starting bus service

India and Myanmar may soon sign an initial agreement for starting a bus service connecting the two countries through the north-eastern state of Imphal, aimed at improving people-to-people contact and bilateral relations.
"It was agreed that both sides will work towards signing the MoU (Memorandum of Understanding) at the earliest on mutually convenient date and venue in order to facilitate early starting of the Imphal-Mandalay bus service," the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways said in a statement.
A delegation led by Niraj Verma, Joint Secretary, Ministry of Road Transport and Highways visited Nay Pyi Taw, capital of Myanmar, last week, to attend an Inter-Ministerial Technical Level Meeting to negotiate and finalise the MoU and related protocol agreements for the proposed bus service.

The text of MoU, which was finalised in the bilateral inter-ministerial technical level meeting on September 17, 2012, was reviewed clause by clause by the representatives of the two delegations and adopted during the meeting, the statement said.
The Road Ministry has been in discussions with the Transport Planning Department of the Ministry of Rail Transportation of Myanmar for introducing cross border bus service from Imphal (Manipur) to Mandalay (Myanmar).
The Indian side also briefed the Myanmar side about the status of construction of road from Kalewa to Yargyi in Myanmar being implemented with Indian assistance.