Prime Minister Manmohan Singh arrived in Myanmar today to attend the third Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation, BIMSTEC Summit, making a strong pitch for giving a fillip to India's Look East policy. He said the summit will explore ways to enhance connectivity, transport, trade, tourism and other linkages to all the northeastern states.

In his departure statement in New Delhi Dr Singh said, BIMSTEC lies at the cross road between SAARC and ASEAN drawing its energy from the natural convergence of the countries around the Bay of Bengal. He said, connectivity and sub-regional cooperation in trade and investment, energy, climate, tourism, agriculture and other areas provide the spark for the growth engine in the region.

Dr Singh added that security challenges both natural and manmade require collective vision and determination to be overcome by peace, stability and development in BIMSTEC countries. Prime Minister hoped that his visit will strengthen the relationship of India with other member state of BIMSTEC.

The Prime Minister is travelling to Myanmar after a gap of nearly two years to attend the two-day summit. He is accompanied by National Security Adviser Shivshankar Menon.

Dr. Singh will use his visit to renew contacts with leaders of the seven-member grouping at the summit level meeting tomorrow in Nay Pyi Taw. The BIMSTEC comprises India, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Thailand, Myanmar, Bhutan and Nepal. The member countries has 21 per cent of the world population, which is about 1.5 billion, and a GDP of over 2.5 trillion dollars.

Foreign Secretary Sujatha Singh said, BIMSTEC is an expression of India's Look East Policy of the 1990s, coinciding with Thailand's Look West Policy. She said, the BIMSTEC has huge potential in bringing the fruits of cross connectivity linkages to the northeastern states and it is in India's interest to make sure that its northeast does not fall behind.

Air correspondent reports that the Prime Minister will have bilateral meetings with Sri Lankan President Mahindra Rajapaksa, Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and other leaders on the sidelines of the Summit. The first summit meeting was held in Bangkok in 2004 and second in New Delhi in 2008.