India and Myanmar convened the Second Annual Defence Dialogue in Naypyitaw on Thursday, with talks centred on training initiatives, capacity building, post-earthquake assistance, and cultural goodwill exchanges. The meeting was co-chaired by India’s Defence Secretary Rajesh Kumar Singh and Myanmar’s Chief of Armed Forces (Training), Major General Kyaw Ko Htike.
“The Second Annual Defence Dialogue between India and Myanmar, co-chaired by Defence Secretary Shri Rajesh Kumar Singh and Chief of Armed Forces Training, Maj Gen Kyaw Ko Htike, was held in Naypyitaw today. The discussions focused on training, capacity building, post-earthquake assistance and cultural goodwill visits,” India’s Ministry of Defence Directorate of Public Relations posted on X.
The dialogue followed a recent high-level meeting between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Myanmar’s State Security and Peace Commission Chairman, Senior General Min Aung Hlaing, on the sidelines of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) Summit in Tianjin, China, last month. During their talks, both leaders reviewed the state of bilateral ties, with PM Modi reiterating India’s commitment to supporting Myanmar’s developmental priorities.
“PM Narendra Modi met Senior General Mr. Min Aung Hlaing, Chairman of the State Security and Peace Commission of Myanmar, on the sidelines of the SCO Summit in Tianjin, China. The leaders reviewed India-Myanmar ties and discussed the way forward on several aspects of bilateral cooperation, including trade, development partnership, defence and security, and border management. PM reiterated India’s readiness to support Myanmar’s developmental needs,” the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) stated following the meeting.
Senior General Min Aung Hlaing and I held talks in Tianjin. Myanmar is a vital pillar of India’s Act East and Neighbourhood First Policies. We both agreed that there is immense scope to boost ties in areas like trade, connectivity, energy, rare earth mining and security. pic.twitter.com/Sxs32TsiTK
— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) August 31, 2025
The Prime Minister also expressed confidence that Myanmar’s forthcoming elections would be conducted in an inclusive and transparent manner, involving all political stakeholders. He emphasised that India stands by a peace process that is Myanmar-led and Myanmar-owned, underscoring that dialogue and consultation are the only viable path forward.
“Prime Minister stressed that progress on ongoing connectivity projects would foster greater interaction between the people of the two countries, while promoting regional cooperation and integration as envisioned in India’s Act East policy,” the MEA release highlighted.
India and Myanmar share longstanding historical and cultural bonds, rooted in Dharmic, linguistic, and ethnic linkages. India has consistently sought to expand its engagement with Myanmar in line with its ‘Act East’ and ‘Neighbourhood First’ policies. The Consulate General of India in Sittwe noted that the two countries maintain several institutional mechanisms to facilitate regular consultations. Defence and security ties, in particular, have steadily deepened over the years.
