External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar has emphasised the need for improved connectivity between India and other member countries of the Mekong–Ganga Cooperation (MGC) bloc to promote a stronger economic growth corridor.
The MGC is a sub-regional organisation comprising India and five ASEAN countries: Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar, Thailand and Vietnam.
Addressing the 10th MGC Ministerial Meeting in Bangkok, Dr. Jaishankar said connectivity remains a key priority for India. He noted that New Delhi looks forward to the early completion of the India–Myanmar–Thailand Trilateral Highway and its extension to Cambodia, Lao PDR and Vietnam. He added that the Economic Research Institute for ASEAN and East Asia (ERIA), based in Jakarta, has been tasked with studying the feasibility of developing the proposed highway into a major economic corridor, with the final report expected next year.
He also highlighted the importance of finalising the India–Myanmar–Thailand Motor Vehicle Agreement to enable seamless movement of goods and passengers across borders, which would boost trade and tourism. India had earlier announced a USD 1 billion Line of Credit for connectivity projects in ASEAN.
Dr. Jaishankar further stressed the need to enhance direct air connectivity among member countries. He announced that IndiGo will begin direct flights from New Delhi to Ho Chi Minh City from October, and daily services from Kolkata to Yangon from late September. IndiGo and Vistara have also been designated as Indian carriers under the India–Cambodia bilateral Air Services Agreement.
During the meeting, the MGC Plan of Action 2019–2022 was adopted, outlining project-based cooperation in areas such as tourism and culture, education, public health and traditional medicine, agriculture, transport and communication, MSMEs, and water resources management.
The Mekong–Ganga Cooperation, named after the Ganga and Mekong rivers, was launched in 2000 in Vientiane, Laos, to strengthen cultural and developmental ties among countries sharing the two river basins and to enhance cooperation in multiple sectors.
