India is planning to extend the proposed India-Myanmar-Thailand highway to the CLMV (Cambodia, Lao PDR and Vietnam) countries in the second phase, despite the first phase being stuck on procedural issues.
The India-Myanmar-Thailand (IMT) trilateral highway is facing inordinate delays, and has already missed a couple of deadlines. It may now become operational by 2018-19. However, a lot of work needs to be done. Firstly, on the Indian side there are as many as 69 bridges that are in a dilapidated state, which have to be rebuilt. Although work is on to modernise these bridges, the progress is slow.
The implementation of the trilateral highway got delayed for reasons that are beyond India’s control. But assuming it gets operational by 2018, it may be extended to the CLMV countries. This will then give India direct access to the South-East and East Asian markets.
The trilateral highway is crucial for the success of the Modi regime’s Look East policy.
India and Thailand have also agreed to speed up negotiations on the India-Myanmar-Thailand Motor Vehicles Agreement (MVA). However, India is not keen on signing the MVA now unless work on the highway progresses.
Myanmar is now creating hurdles to the project. It has demanded a renegotiation of the MVA and its applicability on the trilateral highway as the agreement was negotiated under the previous military government.
