Minister of State for Ports, Shipping and Waterways Shantanu Thakur today flagged off the MV-ITT LION (V-273) from Syama Prasad Mookerjee Port, Kolkata as the inaugural shipment to operationalise the Sittwe Port in Rakhine State of Myanmar.

The Port has been built under a grant assistance from the Government of India as part of Kaladan Multimodal Transit Transport Project undertaken by the The Inland Waterways Authority of India (IWAI).

MV-ITT LION carrying 1,000 metric tonnes of cement will reach Sittwe Port on May 9, according to an official statement.

Sittwe Port has been developed under a framework agreement between India and Myanmar for the construction and operation of a Multimodal Transit Transport Facility on Kaladan river connecting the Sittwe port in Myanmar with the state of Mizoram in India.

The port connects to Paletwa in Myanmar through an inland waterway and from Paletwa to Zorinpui in Mizoram through a road component. Once fully operationalised, KMTTP will provide alternative connectivity from Eastern coast of India to the North-eastern 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.