India-Myanmar defence dialogue to be held in Northeast amid border security concerns

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“The meeting will be chaired by Defence Secretary Rajesh Kumar Singh and his Myanmar counterpart, who is expected to arrive in India with a delegation for the talks,” an official said. File | Photo Credit: PIB via PTI

India and Myanmar will hold their key defence cooperation dialogue in the Northeast for the first time, with the third edition of the annual meeting scheduled to take place in Guwahati on October 7, 2026.

The talks are expected to focus on training, capacity building and security issues along the India-Myanmar border.

A senior Defence Ministry official confirmed that the third edition of the India-Myanmar Defence Cooperation Meeting will be held in Guwahati, underlining the growing focus on security challenges in the Northeast.

The meeting will be chaired by Defence Secretary Rajesh Kumar Singh and his Myanmar counterpart, who is expected to arrive in India with a delegation for the talks, the official said.

Security along the 1,643-km-long India-Myanmar border is expected to figure prominently in the discussions. The porous border has long posed challenges to security and stability in the Northeast, including concerns relating to the movement of insurgents, trafficking in narcotics and illegal arms.

The talks will also cover training initiatives and capacity building between the armed forces of the two countries, besides other issues concerning bilateral defence cooperation.

The decision to hold the dialogue in Guwahati assumes significance as the Northeast shares a land border with Myanmar and has been directly affected by developments across the border.

The region has faced challenges arising from the activities of insurgent groups, drug trafficking and the movement of arms and personnel through difficult and porous terrain.

India and Myanmar held the second annual Defence Dialogue in Naypyitaw in September last year. The discussions covered training initiatives, capacity building, post-earthquake assistance and cultural goodwill exchanges. The meeting was co-chaired by Mr. Singh and Myanmar’s Chief of Armed Forces (Training), Major General Kyaw Ko Htike.

The upcoming meeting in Guwahati is expected to provide an opportunity for the two sides to review ongoing defence cooperation and discuss measures to strengthen coordination on issues concerning the border and regional security.

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