India - Myanmar Joint Military drills kick off
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A group of 15 officers from the Myanmarese army on Monday started a six-day bilateral military exercise with their counterparts from the Indian Army in Meghalaya in the first ever joint training of the troops from the two neighbouring countries.
The India-Myanmar Bilateral Military Exercise 2017 (IMBAX-2017) will take place at the recently created Joint Training Node of the Indian Army at Umroi, 30km away from Meghalaya capital’s Shillong.
“The exercise aims to train officers of Myanmar Army in various United Nations peacekeeping roles and tasks,” said a release issued here by defence public relation officer Lt Col Suneet Newton.
The Indian Army delegation, which will have 16 officers, will train their Myanmarese counterparts with the requisite knowledge and skills to perform peacekeeping operations with principles, policies and guidelines of the UN.
The IMBAX-2017 would conclude on November 25.
“The first IMBAX is a positive step in the bilateral relations between the two neighbouring nations,” said the release.
The joint military exercise starts three days after the conclusion of the seventh such event between Indian and Bangladeshi armies held in Meghalaya and Mizoram.
The annual exercise, called Sampriti, aimed to strengthen and broaden interoperability and cooperation between the two armies in counter insurgency and counterterrorism operations.
“The exercise was a great success and has taught valuable lessons to the troops of both the countries,” said an Indian Army release.
Joint exercises between armies are becoming an important aspect of bilateral relations and the Indian Army also takes part in several such operations annually.
