New Delhi: After Myanmar’s President Min Aung Hlaing met with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, India asserted that there was no choice but to engage with the former junta leader, with foreign secretary Vikram Misri saying that disengagement only produces a vacuum that others go on to fill “to our detriment”.India is the first country Min Aung Hlaing has visited since being sworn in as president in April following elections that the democratic opposition and independent observers have described as neither free nor fair.Min Aung Hlaing arrived in India on Saturday, beginning his visit with a stop in Bodh Gaya, where he offered prayers at the Mahabodhi Temple. He then travelled to New Delhi, where he was received by minister of state for external affairs Kirti Vardhan Singh, who had also represented India at his inauguration in Naypyidaw in April.The last leg of his trip will be in Mumbai, where he will visit the Jawaharlal Nehru Port Trust and the Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport.Misri, briefing reporters after the talks on Monday, said India had “consistently engaged” with Myanmar while putting forward its views on democracy and the peace process.“History has shown that disengagement does not give us any results that are better than engagement and it certainly does not produce democratic change,” he said. “The answer is clearly not disengagement. On the other hand, disengagement only produces a vacuum that others go on to fill to our detriment. And those others have no interest in democracy, I can assure you about that.”While not mentioned explicitly, Misri appeared to be referring to China, on which Myanmar has become increasingly dependent since the military seized power in 2021 after overthrowing the civilian government led by Nobel Peace Prize laureate Aung San Suu Kyi.The visit has drawn criticism from Myanmar opposition groups and human rights advocates, who argue that high-level engagement risks conferring legitimacy on a government that came to power through a military coup.Ahead of the trip, the Justice for Myanmar group condemned India’s decision to host Min Aung Hlaing and accused New Delhi of helping confer legitimacy on a leader it described as responsible for grave abuses against civilians. Myanmar’s National Unity Government in exile also expressed concern over the visit.Misri disclosed that Modi had raised the issue of Aung San Suu Kyi during his discussions with the Myanmar president, but there is no public indication that he specifically called for her release. File photo: PMO, GODL-India.Former Indian ambassador to Myanmar Gautam Mukhopadhaya said Min Aung Hlaing appeared to be pursuing several objectives through the visit.“His interest would have been two, threefold. Number one was general respectability and recognition as elected president. He is sort of using India’s credentials as the largest democracy to try and eventually persuade ASEAN to also soften its position,” Mukhopadhaya told The Wire.He added that Naypyidaw was also likely seeking Indian cooperation against armed groups operating near the border and that both countries had an interest in expanding trade, connectivity and business ties.During the briefing, Misri disclosed that Modi had raised the issue of Aung San Suu Kyi during his discussions with the Myanmar president.“The prime minister did raise this matter with the president,” he said.Misri said the discussion took place in the context of Myanmar’s long-running peace process and efforts to bring various ethnic groups onto a common platform.“The prime minister was making the points on the need for–as Myanmar finds its way back towards democracy, the need for an enduring peace in the country, the need for inclusion, the need to have all stakeholders at the table and to examine the points of view of all the interlocutors who have been part of this process over a long period of time,” he said.“There isn’t yet a final agreement between all stakeholders.”There is no public indication that Modi specifically called for Aung San Suu Kyi’s release. The Nobel laureate and former state counsellor has remained in detention since the military overthrew her elected government in February 2021.The visit also resulted in the issuance of an India-Myanmar joint statement, the first publicly released bilateral joint statement between the two countries since the military takeover. The statement reaffirmed cooperation on trade, connectivity, development assistance and security and recorded Myanmar’s assurance that its territory would not be used against India’s security interests.Security and border management figured prominently in the discussions between the two leaders.Misri said Modi raised concerns about the activities of Indian insurgent groups in areas close to the India-Myanmar border and sought continued cooperation from Naypyidaw.According to the joint statement, both sides underscored “the importance of preventing the misuse of sovereign territory for activities inimical to their security interests”. The Myanmar president reiterated that Myanmar’s territory would not be permitted to be used against India’s security interests.The foreign secretary said stability in Myanmar remained important not only for border communities but also for India’s broader connectivity plans and for regional stability.Min Aung Hlaing reiterated that Myanmar’s territory would not be permitted to be used against India’s security interests. Photo: Indian army personnel walking along the Indo-Burmese border. Credit: PTI.He noted that fighting between the Myanmar military and ethnic armed organisations continued to have spillover effects in India’s northeast, particularly Mizoram, which has hosted large numbers of refugees since the conflict intensified.Misri said Modi had raised concerns about military operations and armed clashes taking place close to the border and their impact on Indian communities.“The prime minister said that the Myanmar army and their authorities should pay attention to this and this should be done in such a way that there is no damage, especially to the people who live in India,” he said.On refugees, Misri said India and Myanmar remained in contact on mechanisms for repatriation. He also addressed the issue of Rohingya refugees, noting that the broader repatriation process primarily involved Myanmar and Bangladesh, while discussions continued regarding Myanmar nationals found in India.In answer to questions on India’s decision to end the Free Movement Regime and erect fencing along sections of the border, Misri said the fencing was taking place entirely within Indian territory and that Myanmar had been informed of the measures.“It is true that there has been a sense of solidarity in the entire border area between people. There is a relationship between people on both sides,” he said, adding that authorities were attempting to balance security requirements with longstanding social and familial ties.Connectivity projects that have long formed a cornerstone of India’s Act East policy also featured prominently in the discussions.According to the joint statement, both sides agreed on the importance of completing the Kaladan Multi Modal Transit Transport Project and the India-Myanmar-Thailand Trilateral Highway.Misri acknowledged that both projects had suffered repeated delays because of Myanmar’s deteriorating security situation. “The obstacle that faces both of these projects is the security situation in Myanmar,” he said, pointing to ongoing hostilities in Rakhine State and other areas along the routes of the projects.He said work had continued whenever security conditions permitted and that Min Aung Hlaing had assured Modi that Myanmar would do everything possible to move the projects towards completion.The two leaders also reviewed trade, investment and newer areas of economic cooperation, with two-way annual trade volume standing at just over $2 billion.Misri confirmed that critical minerals and rare earths were among the issues discussed, describing them as subjects of bilateral engagement for some time.China currently dominates Myanmar’s rare earths sector and is the principal destination for exports from mines in northern Myanmar, making the country an important source of heavy rare earths used in high-technology and clean-energy industries.However, the joint statement itself does not specifically mention rare earths or critical minerals. Instead, it refers more broadly to cooperation in sectors including energy, petroleum, mining and agro-processing.