Sushma Swaraj meets Myanmar's Aung San Suu Kyi, discusses bilateral ties

Naypyidaw: External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj on Friday met Myanmar's State Counsellor Aung San Suu Kyi and discussed ways to strengthen bilateral relations across different sectors.

Swaraj arrived on Friday on a two-day visit for talks with the country's top leadership on key bilateral and regional issues, including the Rohingya refugee crisis.

"Neighbourhood First! EAM @SushmaSwaraj met the State Counsellor and Foreign Minister of Myanmar Aung San Suu Kyi on the 2nd day of her visit to Myanmar. Discussion focused on strengthening our bilateral relations across different sectors," External Affairs Ministry spokesperson Raveesh Kumar tweeted.

On Thursday, she called on Myanmar President U Win Myint.

An estimated 7,00,000 Rohingya Muslims have fled Myanmar's Rakhine State since August 2017 after large-scale violence following a military crackdown. The exodus of refugees in large numbers has resulted in a major crisis in neighbouring Bangladesh.

Suu Kyi has faced intense international scrutiny for her response to the exodus, which the UN has called "ethnic cleansing."

According to reports, Swaraj also met the Commander-in-Chief of the Myanmar armed forces General Min Aung Hlaing.