Indian Ambassador to Myanmar Abhay Thakur visited the embattled Rakhine State capital of Sittwe last Thursday. According to a statement from the Indian Embassy in Yangon, the ambassador’s trip included an inspection of the Sittwe Port, a key component of the stalled Kaladan Multi-Modal Transit Transport Project (KMMTTP) between Myanmar and India.
During his time in the capital—which is currently under pressure from an Arakan Army (AA) offensive—Ambassador Thakur met with the regime-appointed Rakhine State Chief Minister, U Naing Oo, and visited the office of the Consulate General of India.
The ambassador’s visit follows an agreement made during a recent trip to India by coup leader-turned-president Min Aung Hlaing, where both sides pledged to resume cooperation to finish the long-delayed KMMTTP.
Although construction of the Sittwe Port and a river terminal in neighboring Paletwa Township (Chin State) has been completed, a critical 109-km road connecting Paletwa to the Indian border remains stalled due to armed conflict, regional instability, and logistical hurdles.
Except for Sittwe itself, much of the Kaladan project area—including Paletwa in Chin State and the Rakhine townships of Pauktaw, Ponnagyun, and Kyauktaw—has fallen under AA control. The ethnic armed group has successfully seized 14 of Rakhine State’s 17 townships and is actively attempting to capture both Sittwe and Kyaukphyu, home to several Chinese mega-projects.
