Myanmar's opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi arrived here today on a visit to
India after a gap of nearly four decades as part of New Delhi's ongoing
engagement with democratic and multi-party polity in that country.
Suu Kyi, who is visiting India at the invitation of UPA Chairperson Sonia
Gandhi, will deliver the prestigious Jawaharlal Nehru Memorial Lecture here
tomorrow.
The pro-democracy leader was received at the airport here by Foreign Secretary
Ranjan Mathai.
"The visit of Daw Aung San Suu Kyi would be part of our ongoing engagement with
the democratic and multi-party polity in Myanmar. It would provide opportunity
to exchange views on all matters of mutual interest with a view to building upon
the positive momentum in India-Myanmar relations," according to the official
spokesperson in the Ministry of External Affairs.
"It would be recalled Daw Aung San Suu Kyi had accepted the invitation from
Sonia Gandhi in her capacity as Chairperson of Nehru Memorial Fund to deliver
the Nehru Memorial Lecture when she met the Prime Minister during his visit to
Myanmar in May 2012," the spokesperson said. Suu Kyi was also given the
Jawaharlal Nehru award for international understanding in 1992.
During her nearly week-long stay, Suu Kyi will visit her alma mater, Lady Sri
Ram College, where she will interact with the faculty and students.
Besides her engagements in Delhi, she will be travelling to Bangalore where she
will visit the Indian Institute of Science and the Infosys Campus. She is also
scheduled to tour rural areas in Andhra Pradesh to gain a first-hand impression
of rural development and women's empowerment programmes being undertaken in
India.
Suu Kyi spent several years in India during her early days when her mother Daw
Khin Yi was Ambassador to India. She also spent some time as a Fellow at the
Institute of Advanced Study in Shimla in 1987.
Emerging story. Watch this space for updates as more details come in
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