India’s engagement with the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) is significantly impacted by the completion of the India-Myanmar-Thailand Trilateral (IMTT) Highway, which faces challenges due to Myanmar’s internal unrest, according to External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar. He emphasized India’s successful ‘Neighbourhood First’ policy, highlighting vaccine shipments during the COVID-19 pandemic. As of July 2023, 70% of the IMTT highway construction is complete, aiming to enhance trade, education, and tourism among India, Myanmar, and Thailand. Jaishankar urged finding solutions to advance this strategic project amidst regional cooperation, alongside increased contributions from Japan and South Korea toward India’s development.
New Delhi:
A transformative element in India’s neighbourhood strategy involving the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) will be the finalization of the India-Myanmar-Thailand Trilateral (IMTT) Highway. Currently, its progress faces obstacles due to ongoing internal conflicts in Myanmar, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar noted today.
India’s ‘Neighbourhood First’ initiative has seen significant advancements in countries such as Bangladesh, Bhutan, Nepal, and Myanmar, he remarked, citing the example of India supplying vaccines to neighboring nations during the COVID-19 pandemic.
The relationship between New Delhi and ASEAN has been consistently strengthening and should be further utilized by all stakeholders, Mr. Jaishankar stated during a session titled ‘Act East, Act Fast and Act First’ at the Advantage Assam Summit in Guwahati.
“The turmoil in Myanmar has temporarily stalled the IMTT Highway project… We must not permit this [Myanmar unrest] to obstruct something so significant. We need to identify practical solutions to propel this initiative forward,” Mr. Jaishankar emphasized.
As of July 2023, approximately 70 percent of the construction work on the IMTT highway had been completed. This 1,400-km-long highway aims to connect India with Southeast Asia by land, enhancing trade, business, health, education, and tourism among the three countries.
The highway will connect Moreh in Manipur with Mae Sot in Thailand, traversing Myanmar.
No specific timeline for the completion and operationalization of the trilateral highway has been established. The strategic project has faced multiple delays, with the government initially targeting to make the highway operational by December 2019.
I was pleased to speak at Advantage Assam Summit 2.0 in Guwahati alongside CM @himantabiswa, Ambassadors, and delegates.
I discussed the Modi Government’s dedication to ‘Act East, Act Fast and Act First’.
Key points included:
➡️ Act East begins with a shift in approach from Delhi towards Assam… https://t.co/uZyWtrtkba pic.twitter.com/P1Kj1hoFac
— Dr. S. Jaishankar (@DrSJaishankar) February 25, 2025
The ‘Neighbourhood First’ policy underpins the management of India’s relations with its neighboring countries.
“We have witnessed the development of new roads, checkpoints, railway links, waterways, power grids, fuel pipelines, and transport facilities. Many more improvements are anticipated in the coming years,” Mr. Jaishankar remarked.
Nonetheless, some individuals tend to focus solely on challenges rather than seek solutions; however, regional development fundamentally relies on genuine cooperation, he asserted.
Japan and South Korea have both emerged as significant economic contributors across various sectors in India, Mr. Jaishankar noted. Japan has prioritized development projects in the northeast, particularly enhancing mobility and educational exchanges.
Furthermore, Malaysia and Thailand have relaxed visa regulations for Indians, and other ASEAN countries have increased air connectivity. Education and skill development represent potential areas for future collaboration as well.