NEW DELHI: The ambitious India-Myanmar-Thailand highway project will come up for discussion at the ASEAN-India Summit for which PM Narendra Modi is scheduled to visit Vientiane (Laos) on October 10 and 11.“Myanmar will attend the upcoming Summit and there will be talk of all issues in the region. There will be talks on the trilateral highway project and how it can be taken forward,’’ Jaydeep Mazumdar, Secretary (East) in the MEA, said on Wednesday.However, India’s key infrastructural project in Myanmar —Kaladan Multi Modal Transit Transport (KMMTT) Project—will not be discussed. “Since KMMTT is a bilateral project, it will not come up for discussion at the ASEAN Summit,’’ Mazumdar told this newspaper. He said that Modi is likely to have a few bilateral meetings on the sidelines of the summit.Meanwhile, discussions are also likely to be held on the peaceful return of democracy in Myanmar, and trafficking of Indian youth who end up working in cyber fraud centres in Myanmar and Cambodia.“As regards fake jobs, this is an issue which we have been taking up with countries concerned; the external affairs minister has also been taking it up and we have had positive responses from the countries involved. Last week, we had a large batch of about 65 people who were rescued from Cambodia. So, this is an ongoing discussion that we are having with the countries and we are seeing positive results from,” he said.Last week, the Indian Embassy in Cambodia, in collaboration with Cambodia’s Ministry of Interior, rescued and repatriated Indian nationals trapped in fraudulent job scams. In September, following specific leads by the Embassy, the Cambodian Police has rescued 67 Indian nationals from Poipet.On India’s Act East Policy, which is completing 10 years, Mazumdar said, “There’s been a qualitative and transformative development in our relations, both with the ASEAN region and with the larger region which includes India policy with Oceania, Australia, New Zealand, the Pacific island countries and Japan.”Modi is expected to meet the newly appointed Japanese PM Shigeru Ishiba, who will be attending the Summit, his first overseas visit since assuming office. Modi will hold bilateral meetings with Laos PM Sonexay Siphandone.ON THE MENUPM Modi to visit Vientiane (Laos) on Oct 10 and 11 for ASEAN-India SummitMyanmar will attend the summitTalks on trilateral highway project — India-Myanmar-ThailandDiscussions likely to be held on peaceful return of democracy in MyanmarDiscussions on trafficking of Indian youth who end up working in cyber fraud centres in Myanmar and Cambodia
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