New Delhi, Dec 26 (IANS) India on Friday expressed support for democratic transition and free, fair as well as inclusive elections in Myanmar.

Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal stated during a weekly media briefing in New Delhi on Friday that India stands for peace, stability and return of normalcy in Myanmar.

When asked about whether India has sent any observers for the elections set to be held in Myanmar, Jaiswal responded, "On Myanmar, we stand for democratic transition in the country. Elections are to be held. We support free, fair and inclusive elections in which everybody participates and India stands for peace and stability and return of normalcy in the country."

"In regard to your question about observers, I don't have an update about that. I shall come back to you," he added.

In August, the Union Election Commission announced that Myanmar will hold the first phase of the general election on December 28 and the dates for subsequent phases will be announced in due course.

The announcement came after Myanmar's State Security and Peace Commission Chairman, Senior General Min Aung Hlaing, in June, said that the polls in the country will be held during December this year and January next year, Xinhua News Agency reported citing state-owned daily The Global New Light of Myanmar.

On August 31, Prime Minister Narendra Modi met Myanmar's State Security and Peace Commission Chairman, Senior General Min Aung Hlaing, on the sidelines of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) Summit in China's Tianjin to review bilateral ties and discuss the way forward on several aspects of bilateral cooperation.

PM Modi reiterated India's readiness to support the developmental needs of Myanmar. He noted that India attaches importance to its ties with Myanmar as part of its Neighbourhood First, Act East, and Indo-Pacific policies.

In a statement shared on X, Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said: "PM Narendra Modi met with Senior General Mr. Min Aung Hlaing, Chairman of the State Security and Peace Commission of Myanmar, on the sidelines of the SCO Summit in Tianjin, China. The leaders reviewed India-Myanmar ties and discussed the way forward on several aspects of bilateral cooperation, including trade, development partnership, defence and security and border management. PM reiterated India's readiness to support the developmental needs of Myanmar."

PM Modi had expressed hope that the forthcoming elections in Myanmar will be held in a fair and inclusive manner involving all stakeholders. He underlined that India supports a Myanmar-led and Myanmar-owned peace process, for which peaceful dialogue and consultation are the only way forward, according to the MEA statement.

--IANS

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