Kolkata, May 4 (PTI) In a major step towards strengthening India-Myanmar relations and enhancing trade and commerce, a union minister on Thursday flagged off the inaugural cargo ship from Kolkata to the Sittwe Port in Myanmar.

The port in Rakhine state of the neighbouring country has been built with assistance from India as part of the Kaladan Multimodal Transit Transport Project (KMTTP).

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The Inland Waterways Authority of India (IWAI), as the project Development Consultant for the implementation of the port and inland waterways components of the work, has completed the project.

Minister of State for Ports, Shipping and Waterways, Shantanu Thakur, flagged off the vessel carrying 20,000 bags containing 1,000 metric tonnes of cement from Syama Prasad Mookerjee Port, Kolkata. It is scheduled to reach Sittwe Port on May 9.

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The Sittwe Port has been developed under a framework agreement between India and Myanmar for the construction and operation of a multimodal transit transport facility on the Kaladan river, connecting that facility with Mizoram.

The port connects to Paletwa in Myanmar through an inland waterway, and from Paletwa to Zorinpui in Mizoram through a road component.

Once fully operationalised, the KMTTP will provide alternate connectivity from the Eastern coast of India to the North-eastern states through the Sittwe port, Port chairman P L Haranadh said.

The port will open up new opportunities for trade and transit from and to Myanmar, particularly the Rakhine State, and will further enhance trade and commerce between the two countries and the wider region.

The project is expected to bring significant economic benefits to the people of the region, as it will provide a much-needed boost to the local economy.

(The above story is verified and authored by Press Trust of India (PTI) staff. PTI, India’s premier news agency, employs more than 400 journalists and 500 stringers to cover almost every district and small town in India.. The views appearing in the above post do not reflect the opinions of LatestLY)