India and Myanmar sign MoUs on five Quick Impact Projects under Mekong-Ganga Cooperation

Naypyitaw, October 16 (IANS) India and Myanmar have signed Memorandums of Understanding (MoUs) on five Quick Impact Projects (QIPs) under the Mekong-Ganga Cooperation (MGC) initiative covering water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) support, boiler operations, road upgrade, sports facility and software support, the Embassy of India in Myanmar said on Friday.The MoUs were signed in Naypyitaw on Thursday by First Secretary at the Indian Embassy Amit Shreeansh and the Director Generals of the concerned Myanmar ministries, in the presence of India’s Ambassador to Myanmar Abhay Thakur and Myanmar’s Union Minister for National Planning, Investment and Foreign Economic Relations U Aung Kyaw Hoe.“Supporting local community projects for the benefit of the people in Myanmar. Under the Mekong-Ganga Cooperation Initiative, MoUs on five Quick Impact Projects, in the areas of WASH support, boiler operations, road upgrade, sports facility and software support, were signed in Naypyitaw yesterday by First Secretary Amit Shreeansh and respective DGs of concerned Ministries of Myanmar. Amb Abhay Thakur and MNPIFER Union Minister U Aung Kyaw Hoe were present,” the Embassy posted on X.In July, Ambassador Thakur handed over solar systems for 50 households of earthquake-affected ethnic people of Inle in Taunggyi, a QIP under the MGC initiative.Development cooperation has long been a prominent feature in India’s overall bilateral engagement with Myanmar. According to the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA), India’s involvement and assistance extends from setting up of major connectivity infrastructure to significant initiatives in establishing long-term sustainable and relevant institutions for capacity building and human resource development in some of the critical areas such as agricultural research, rural infrastructure, healthcare and education, IT and skill development.Under the Mekong Ganga Cooperation (MGC) mechanism, Quick Impact Projects (QIP) were launched by Indian government to deliver short-gestation, high-visibility development outcomes across various countries including Myanmar.“QIPs strive to deliver small, timely interventions that respond to local needs and produce visible benefits faster. Under the Framework Agreement of QIP, the Government of India has committed up to US$ 500,000 per year for such projects. As of March this year, over 25 QIPs have been sanctioned in states and regions all across Myanmar. These are in sectors such as renewable energy, civic infrastructure, agriculture, rural development, education, handloom, disaster risk reduction and cultural restoration,” the MEA stated.