PHNOM PENH: The Indian government plans to promote the expansion of tripartite highways to Cambodia, Laos, and Vietnam and to increase trade with ASEAN. This is according to the ASEAN Briefing website, which was launched on August 17, 2022.

The highway currently connects India to Thailand via Myanmar and has a length of about 1,400 km; if successfully extended to Cambodia, Laos, and Vietnam, it will have a total length of about 3,200 km. The highway is also part of India’s Act East policy, which is a diplomatic initiative aimed at strengthening economic and cultural ties between India and the Asia-Pacific region.

In addition, India is pushing for the completion and expansion of the trilateral highway connecting India, Myanmar, and Thailand in order to improve regional connectivity. The highway should be extended to Cambodia, Laos, and Vietnam, increasing its current length from 1,400 km to 3,200 km, according to Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

The highway, which was planned to be built 15 years ago, connects Moreh in northeastern India to Mesat in Thailand via Myanmar. The majority of the highway construction has been completed, and many sections of the road are being upgraded.

The highway is part of India’s Look East policy, which was replaced by Prime Minister Modi’s government in 2014 with the Act East policy to improve relations with ASEAN and boost trade in India. The ASEAN-India Free Trade Zone.

Connections to Cambodia, Laos, and Vietnam are also viewed as a reaction to China’s Belt and Road Initiative. However, due to a lack of human resources, technology, funding, and consulting services, progress on the highway has been slow.