Ambassador Abhay Thakur visits Kalemyo to review progress on the India-Myanmar-Thailand Trilateral Highway.
In a meaningful stride toward bolstering regional connectivity, India’s Ambassador to Myanmar, Abhay Thakur, visited the Kalemyo region alongside officials from the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) to assess progress on the Kalewa–Yagyi road project is a critical segment of the India-Myanmar-Thailand Trilateral Highway.
The 1360-km-long highway, which stretches from India’s Northeast to Thailand via Myanmar, is central to India’s Act East Policy and is poised to transform economic linkages across South and Southeast Asia.
In a post shared by the Embassy of India in Myanmar on social media platform X, the visit was described as a crucial step forward:
“Nudging forward the Kalewa-Yagyi road project… Ambassador Abhay Thakur, accompanied by NHAI representatives, visited Kalemyo yesterday to interact with project construction teams and also met the local community at the adjoining IMT segment.”
The Ambassador also took time to connect with the Indian diaspora, visiting the Kalemyo Durga Mandir, reflecting India’s continued outreach to its people abroad.
India is currently executing two critical components of the Trilateral Highway in Myanmar:
- 120.74 km Kalewa-Yagyi road section
- 69 bridges with approach roads on the 149.70 km Tamu-Kyigone-Kalewa (TKK) section
The project, once completed, will provide seamless road connectivity from India to Thailand, boosting trade, tourism, and strategic cooperation with ASEAN countries.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi, during the Rising North East Investors Summit held in May in New Delhi, had underscored the importance of the highway, stating that India’s trade with ASEAN, currently around $125 billion, could surpass $200 billion in the near future. He highlighted the Northeast region as a vital trade gateway to Southeast Asia.
PM Modi also emphasised the fast-tracking of the Kaladan Multimodal Transit Project, which will link Kolkata Port with Myanmar’s Sittwe Port, offering a crucial alternative route via Mizoram, significantly reducing travel distances and bolstering economic integration.
In April, during his visit to Thailand, PM Modi and Thai Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra agreed to expedite the Trilateral Highway, its eastward extension, and the India-Myanmar-Thailand Motor Vehicles Agreement, as well as improve maritime and air connectivity.
The recent visit by Ambassador Thakur signals India’s continued commitment to regional connectivity, infrastructure diplomacy, and deeper cooperation with Myanmar and Thailand for a more integrated and prosperous Indo-Pacific future.
Source: IANS
