Hans Raj Singh aked: What is the importance of Myanmar for India?

Udai Bhanu Singh replies: Myanmar’s importance lies in its geo-strategic location at the tri-junction of east, south-east and south Asia. It is the only south-east Asian country with which India has a land border which accounts for its significance in the development of India’s northeast and in the context of India’s Look East Policy. Added to this is the China factor, need for stability in the Indian Ocean, and its potential as a proximate source of energy. Besides, India’s democratic credentials (for a country in transition), and historical and cultural ties (for a nation which reveres Buddhism), makes Myanmar an apt avenue for the exercise of India’s soft power.