New Delhi, May 4 (PTI) Union Minister Shantanu Thakur on Thursday flagged off the inaugural cargo shipment to operationalise Sittwe Port in Rakhine, Myanmar from Syama Prasad Mookerjee Port in Kolkata.

According to an official statement, cargo ship MV-ITT LION (V-273) carrying 20,000 bags containing 1,000 metric tonnes of cement will reach Sittwe Port on May 9, 2023.

Also Read | Climate Change: 82 Percent of Indians Either Alarmed or Concerned About Global Warming, Says Study.

The port has been built under grant assistance from India as part of the Kaladan Multimodal Transit Transport Project (KMTTP), it added.

The Inland Waterways Authority of India (IWAI), as a project development consultant for the implementation of the Port and IWT components of the work, has successfully completed the work.

Also Read | 'Not My King': UK Republicans To Stage Protest Against Monarchy on May 6, Want King Charles III Coronation to Be the Last.

Speaking on the occasion, the Minister of State for Ports, Shipping and Waterways said that the Kaladan project is a live example of the cooperation and commitments between India and Myanmar.

The start of operation of Sittwe port will pave a new avenue for Sittwe to become a maritime hub for Myanmar and enhance regional connectivity, Thakur added.

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 Sittwe Port with Mizoram in India.

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, KMTTP will provide alternate connectivity from the eastern coast of India to the north-eastern states through Sittwe Port.

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

(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)