Burmese minister heads for India

The two countries often fight the same rebel groups

By Larry Jagan BBC South East Asia analyst

Burma's foreign minister arrives in India on Sunday at the start of an important five-day visit.

Win Aung: Busy schedule

Win Aung will meet India's top leaders to discuss strategic and economic issues.

Indian Government officials say both countries are keen to explore ways of improving bilateral relations and to further boost their close trading ties.

Analysts believe the trip is also significant as it comes shortly after Burma's top leader, General Than Shwe, visited China.

India has long been concerned about China's influence in Burma and is worried about Beijing's strategic priorities there.

China ties

Win Aung is likely to have a busy schedule on this trip, for he is certainly going to try to allay Delhi's concern about what they see as China's growing influence in the country.

The economic ties between China and Burma have certainly been strengthened during General Than Shwe's recent visit there - with Beijing promising substantial financial aid for infrastructural projects.

But Win Aung, who accompanied the senior general to China, will be assuring his hosts that this close relationship does not involve a Chinese military presence in the country as many Indian analysts fear, and that Rangoon wants close ties with both Delhi and Beijing.

The Burmese foreign minister will also be keen to be brought up to date on the Indian Government's peace negotiations with the Naga rebels, who also have many of their bases inside Burma.

The Burmese are anxious to see India's north-east develop faster and with an increase in cross-border trade.

Already, India has been overseeing the construction of a major highway that will link India to Mandalay and Rangoon, and through there to Thailand.

Last April, Burma's foreign minister hosted his Indian and Thai counterparts in Rangoon in an inaugural summit which pledged to complete this road linking the three countries as soon as possible.

Another summit is planned for this year in Mandalay, and Win Aung is likely to be discussing the exact timing of this with the Indian foreign minister.

Trade, drugs and rebels

Apart from strategic concerns, Win Aung will also be keen to boost trade between the two countries.

He will be visiting Calcutta, where Burma opened consular offices last year as a mark of the developing ties between the two countries and the importance India's eastern states are likely to play in that relationship.

Thang Shwe could visit India soon

Relations between the two countries have really only begun to strengthen in the last few years, partly because former Indian governments have been strong supporters of opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi.

While Delhi still insists it would prefer to see a democratically-elected government in Rangoon, Indian policy changed some 10 years ago and ever since then India has sought better relations with the generals.

Initially, this was in areas of combating cross-border militancy and stemming the illegal drugs trade.

This is the most important Burmese visitor to Delhi since the army chief, General Maung Aye, visited last January.

Sources in Rangoon say Win Aung will also discuss with his Indian hosts a visit by the head of state, General Than Shwe, in the near future.