Rio meets diplomat

Kohima, June 16: Nagaland chief minister Neiphiu Rio, along with minister of planning T.R. Zeliang, met U Zin Yaw, the ambassador of Myanmar, at the Myanmar embassy in New Delhi last evening.

The CMO said they discussed issues relating to development activities and promotion of friendly relations among the people who reside on either side of the borders.

Rio referred to the large number of Nagas who lived in Myanmar and discussed the need to attend to their problems and development needs.

The Nagas were happy that the Myanmar government had given representation to the Nagas in Myanmar in the political process of their country. Zin Yaw told Rio that he was yet to present his credentials to President Pratibha Patil. However, he said he would also take over as the chairman of the ambassadors of the Asean countries to India and they had made plans to visit Nagaland sometime towards the end of this year.

Rio extended a warm invitation for the visit and said he would be looking forward to meeting him and the Asean representatives in Nagaland.

Commissioner and secretary to chief minister L. Kire said Rio’s meeting with the Myanmar ambassador would assume significance as the Nagaland government had been requesting the Centre and the Myanmar government for rapid development of Naga-inhabited areas in an effort to do away with the sense of alienation in that country. He had sent Naga delegations to Myanmar to establish ties.

However, the Opposition Congress here accused Rio of interfering with the affairs of other countries. Rio said because of his government’s efforts, Myanmar had granted autonomy to Nagas where over a dozen Nagas were elected to the national Assembly in last year’s elections. He said with this new development in politics, the Nagas would have their own representatives to work for their welfare.