An Indian defense delegation led by Air Chief Marshal N.A. K. Browne begins a four-day visit to Burma on Monday, November 26, when they will meet President Thein Sein with talks aimed at cementing defense ties.
India is sending Browne along with a five-member team comprising senior officers of the three services, Indian media reported.
Thein Sein will be joined by high-level military chiefs Vice Snr-Gen Min Aung Hlang (the commander-in-chief of Burma’s Defense Services) and Gen Myat Hein (Commander-in-Chief of the Air Force).
According to Frontier India News Network, India’s Air Chief Marshall will “discuss a wide range of bilateral issues on the ongoing defense cooperation between the two countries, and further outline areas of mutual interest as part of a broader military engagement.”
No mention of the visit was made on the Burmese President’s Office website or in state-run press.
The Indian delegation is reportedly scheduled to visit Burma’s National Defense College where they will be briefed by the Ministries of Foreign Affairs and Home Affairs.
Asia News International said the Indian delegation is also due to visit an air training base, an aircraft production and assembly plant at Shante, and the Command and General Staff College at Kalaw.
The high-level defense visit comes on the heels on Burmese opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi’s six-day trip to India last week, and the Indian Prime Minister’s visit to Burma in May.
India and Burma share a common border spanning 1,650 km (1,000 miles).
