Myanmar won't let Indian rebels use its soil

The assurance was conveyed by Shwe during his talks with Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh.

On New Delhi's concern over northeastern Indian insurgents taking shelter in Myanmar, the visiting military ruler said his country would take immediate action whenever India passed on specific information to it about activities about anti-India militant groups operating out of that country.

The two countries inked a memorandum of understanding committing them to boost cooperation against terrorism, arms smuggling, drug trafficking, organized crime, money laundering and international economic crimes, Indian External Affairs Ministry spokesman Navtej Sarna told reporters last evening.

The MOU provides for exchange of information and personnel, law enforcement cooperation and joint reviews .

What was significant, said Sarna, was the two countries agreed that that Myanmarese territory would not be allowed to be used to harm India's interests.

India also sought to leverae ecnomics to its security concerns along the border with Myanmar when President A P J Abdul Kalam, during a banquet hosted for Gen Shwen, called for faster development of border areas to achieve a trade figure of one billion dollars between India and Myanmar by the year 2005.

"The accelerated development of border areas will be to our common advantage. But our efforts cannot be successful unless peace, stability and security in the border areas are ensured," Kalam said adding it was necessary to remove hurdles to increased cross-border trade and connectivity.

Pointing out that Myanmar was India's gateway to Asean, Kalam said India was committed to early implementation of a road connecting the two countries as well as Thailand to help boost trade.

Indian Commerce Minister Kamal Nath said New Delhi was taking measures to turn northeastern states a natural base for enhanced trade with Myanmar by creating infrastructure including roads and airports.