India and Myanmar to hold defence dialogue in Guwahati

India and Myanmar will hold their third annual Defence Cooperation Meeting in Guwahati on October 7, marking the first time the dialogue has been hosted in India’s Northeast, a Defence Ministry official said. The meeting will be chaired by Defence Secretary Rajesh Kumar Singh and his Myanmar counterpart, who is expected to travel to India with a delegation. Discussions are expected to focus on training, capacity building and security issues along the countries’ border.

Security along the 1,643-kilometre India-Myanmar border is likely to be a central issue. The official said the talks would address broader bilateral defence cooperation as well as concerns linked to the movement of insurgents, narcotics trafficking and illegal arms. The decision to hold the meeting in Guwahati reflects the region’s direct exposure to developments across the border.

India’s Northeast shares a land boundary with Myanmar, and the source material said difficult and porous terrain has contributed to the movement of groups, drugs, weapons and personnel. The two countries held their second annual defence dialogue in Naypyitaw in September last year. That meeting covered training initiatives, capacity building, assistance after an earthquake and cultural goodwill exchanges.

It was co-chaired by Singh and Myanmar’s Chief of Armed Forces (Training), Major General Kyaw Ko Htike. The upcoming talks are expected to give both sides an opportunity to review existing defence cooperation and discuss ways to strengthen coordination on border and regional security. The source material did not provide further details about the Myanmar delegation or any agreements expected from the meeting.