External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar and UN Secretary General’s special envoy Julie Bishop held talks in New Delhi yesterday, focusing on the fast-unfolding situation in Myanmar. Bishop is currently on a visit to India.

In April last year, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres appointed Bishop as his special envoy on Myanmar. Myanmar has been witnessing widespread violent protests demanding the restoration of democracy since the military seized power in the coup on February 1, 2021.

The resistance forces have already captured many key trading points along the borders with India, China and Bangladesh. Myanmar is one of India’s strategic neighbours, and it shares a 1,640 kilometre-long border with a number of northeastern states, including militancy-hit Nagaland and Manipur.