New Delhi: Foreign Secretary Harsh Vardhan Shringla will travel to Myanmar for a two-day working visit on December 22 and 23. Shringla will meet with members of the State Administration Council, political parties, and civil society during his visit, according to a release from the Ministry of External Affairs.

The release added that issues such as humanitarian assistance to Myanmar, security concerns along the India-Myanmar border, and the political situation in Myanmar will be discussed.

India and Myanmar share a 1,600-kilometer-long land border, which influences New Delhi's policy. The visit also comes after Myanmar handed over five insurgents from Manipur last week. This is the second time in two years that Myanmar has handed over insurgents to India. 22 insurgents from six insurgent groups operating in Assam and Manipur were handed over in 2020.

Meanwhile, Myanmar is in turmoil after the Myanmar junta, or military, overthrew the democratically elected government on February 1 in a coup led by Senior General Ming Aung Hlaing and declared a year-long state of emergency. Myanmar is geopolitically significant to India because it is located at the crossroads of India and Southeast Asia. Myanmar is the only country that sits at the crossroads of India's "Neighborhood First" and "Act East" policies.

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