By IANS,
New Delhi : The Indian cabinet Thursday cleared a bus service linking Imphal in Manipur to Mandalay in Myanmar, setting the stage for the signing of a pact during Prime Minister Manmohan Singh’s three-day visit to the Southeast Asian country that starts Sunday.
The cabinet meeting, chaired by Manmohan Singh at his official residence, approved, in principle, the much-awaited bus link between Manipur’s capital and Mandalay, government sources said here.
The bus link will be a signature initiative that is expected to enhance people-to-people interaction and trade between Myanmar and India’s northeastern states.
Improving regional connectivity and expanding bilateral trade will be key highlights of Manmohan Singh’s visit to Myanmar – the first trip to the southeast country by an Indian prime minister in a quarter century.
The pact is expected to be signed after talks between Manmohan Singh and Myanmar President Thein Sein in the Myanmarese capital Nay Pyi Taw Monday.