A debut cargo vessel from Shyama Prasad Mukherjee Port to Sittwe Port in Myanmar has been flagged off by Union Minister Shantanu Thakur at a ceremony held in Kolkata. The vessel named MV-ITT LION (V-273) is the inaugural shipment to operationalise the Sittwe Port in the Rakhine State. The vessel is carrying 20,000 bags containing 1,000 metric tonnes of cement and will reach Sittwe Port on May 9, where it will be received by Cabinet minister Sarbanand Sonowal.
The Sittwe port connects to Paletwa in Myanmar via an inland waterway and from Paletwa to Zorinpui in Mizoram through a road component. Once fully operationalised, Kaladan Multimodal Transport Project will provide alternative connectivity from the east coast of India to the northeastern states through the Sittwe port. The port will open up new opportunities for trade and transit from and to Myanmar, particularly the Rakhine State, and further enhance trade and commerce between the two countries and the wider region.
