India News and Travel Times Provides India-centric and other News and Features

The Prime Minister, Dr. Manmohan Singh, who held talks with Myanmar democracy icon Aung San Suu Kyi here on Tuesday, handed over to her an invitation from UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi to visit India. "Ladies and gentlemen, it has been a great honour and great privilege for me to have had this opportunity of interacting and meeting with Daw Aung San Suu Kyi. We in India are very proud of our longstanding association with her and members of her family, including her parents," said Dr. Singh in his statement to media after meeting Suu Kyi. "I sincerely hope that she will find it possible to visit India soon. In this context, I have handed over to her the invitation letter to deliver the next Jawaharlal Nehru Memorial Lecture, which is a very prestigious lecture. Mrs. Sonia Gandhi has written an invitation letter to Madam to do us the honour to deliver this lecture in India ," he added. Dr. Singh further said Daw Aung San Suu Kyi's life, her struggle, and her determination have inspired millions of people all over the world. "Our sincere belief is that in the Process of National Reconciliation which has been launched by President Thein Sein, Madam Suu Kyi will play a defining role," said Dr. Singh. "I conveyed to her our very best wishes for the success of the noble endeavour in which she and her colleagues are engaged," he added. Daw Aung San Suu Kyi on her part expressed pleasure and a privilege to meet the Indian Prime Minister "It has been a great pleasure and a privilege to meet Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, and I very much appreciate the fact that he has made time to see me here in Rangoon in spite of a very heavy programme," said Suu Kyi. "As you all know, India and Burma have been particularly close over the years not just because of our geographical positions but because we have shared deep ties of friendship for many many long years," she added. Suu Kyi said the struggle for India 's independence took place at the same time as the struggle for Burma 's independence, and added that her parents were great admirers of former Indian Prime Minister Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru. "My parents were great admirers of Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru and other Indian leaders, but we were particularly close to Panditji as I was taught to call him from a very young age," she said. Suu Kyi emphasized that the two nations have a lot to learn from each other and thereby contribute to peace and stability in this region "I am very happy at the prospect of closer ties with India because I think we have much to learn from one another and we have much to contribute to peace and stability in this region, because our goals, our democratic goals, work on the basis of peace and stability, and these are what we shall aim towards," said Suu Kyi. "I am very gratified by the invitation to deliver the Jawaharlal Nehru Memorial Lecture, and I hope that I will be able to take up this invitation before too long," she added. Suu Kyi further expressed hope that there will be greater exchanges between the people of the two nations. "More than that, I hope that there will be greater exchanges between our two peoples. As I said to the Prime Minister, true friendship between the countries can be based only on friendship between our peoples, and this is what I hope we will be able to achieve," she said. Dr. Singh, who held discussions with Suu Kyi here today on the last day of his historic visit, is the first Indian Prime Minister to visit Myanmar in 25 years.

Manmohan Singh meets Aung San Suu Kyi, invites her to visit India