In news : Bangladesh has expressed interest to join the ongoing India-Myanmar-Thailand trilateral highway project recentlyThe existing BBIN motor vehicle agreement facilitates reduced border controls and customs inspection for freight transport between India and Bangladesh
About the India-Myanmar-Thailand trilateral highway
- As part of India’s Act East Policy, India-Myanmar-Thailand Trilateral Highway is one of the biggest infrastructure projects in the region.
- The trilateral highway is expected to help greatly in the transport connectivity 1, 3660 km long cross border highway network and is currently under construction, expected to be completed by 2021.
- It links Moreh (India) -Bagan (Myanmar) -Mae Sot (Thailand)
- India has agreed to help build two vital road sections Kalewa-Yagyi of 120 km, and 69 bridges on the Tamu-Kyigone-Kalewa (TKK).
- Extension of the highway: The decision to extend the Trilateral Highway to Lao PDR and Cambodia to help deepen the India-ASEAN Relations was taken at the ASEAN-India Commemorative Summit 2012
- The proposed approx 3,200 km (2,000 mi) route from India to Vietnam is known as the East-West Economic Corridor (Thailand to Cambodia and Vietnam became operational in 2015).
- This highway will also connect to the river ports being developed along the way at Kalay (also called Kalaymyo) and Monywa on Chindwin River
- The highway is country’s second prime international road project for India, the first being Bangladesh-Bhutan-India-Nepal (BBIN) project.
- The National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) has been appointed as the technical executing agency and project management consultant for the project
Significance of the project
This Trilateral highway project boost trade and commerce in the ASEAN–India Free Trade Area, as well as with the rest of Southeast Asia
Source: Financial Express
