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Assam and ASEAN

Assam CM Himanta Biswa Sarma said that his government was striving to position Assam as the ‘expressway and gateway’

Assam and ASEAN

Sentinel Digital DeskBy : Sentinel Digital Desk

  |  29 May 2022 3:45 AM GMT

Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Friday said that his government was striving to position Assam as the 'expressway and gateway' to the Association of South-East Asian Nations (ASEAN) bloc. According to reports, the Chief Minister has also said that considering its civilizational and cultural links, increased focus on the North-Eastern region is crucial for the success of the Act East Policy. As he has rightly pointed out, the North-East is fast emerging as the vital link between the rest of India and the South-east Asian countries. It is significant to note that a large number of diplomats and other representatives have converged in Guwahati this weekend to attend two crucial events. The first was the 'Conclave on Act East Policy Through Northeast' organized by the Government on Friday, while the second was a two-day event called 'NADI 3' organised by the Shillong-based think-tank Asian Confluence in collaboration with the Ministry of External Affairs, NEC and the Assam Government. As the Assam Chief Minister pointed out, it is a fact that development of infrastructure in the North-Eastern Region has witnessed an unprecedented boom in the last few years. This, according to the Chief Minister, has primarily taken place because of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's thrust on pushing the Act East Policy, which in turn has brought a paradigm shift to the development narrative in the region, apart from giving new hope to the people of the region. It is also important to note that the Act East Policy Affairs Department of the Government of Assam has launched several initiatives to bring together stakeholders from various fields to brainstorm on various aspects of the Act East Policy and strengthen the roadmap for leveraging the opportunity of the state's geo-strategic location to use it as a springboard for boosting economic cooperation, enhancing connectivity and addressing various issues for seamless movement of trade and investment. It must be acknowledged that the Government of Assam has been also working on making Assam an industrial hub which can serve not only the region, but also the population of the neighbourhood and the extended neighbourhood covering ASEAN. That things have been moving in the right direction following a concerted effort of the BJP-led governments at the Union and in the State is also evident from the fact that the mindset of the people has significantly changed. While militancy and insurgency have become things of the past which nobody even wants to remember, the people now want to be stakeholders in the development process. The Chief Minister has rightly claimed that one outcome of this changed mindset is the implementation of a number of Externally Aided Projects in Assam.

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