IMPHAL, April 7: The NE-ASEAN Business Summit, 2016, a multinational business summit, hosted by the Government of Manipur was inaugurated today the at the City Convention Centre Palace Compound.
Over 144 delegates including entrepreneurs, buyers, delegates etc from outside the Northeastern regions including top officials from Southeast Asian countries and neighbouring country of India has arrived to take part in the summit which would last for three days.
Attending today’s inauguration were Ma Teresita Daza- Philippine Ambassodar to India, Chalit Manityakul, Ambassador of Kingdom of Thailand, Ton Sinh Thanh-Ambassador Vietnam, Dato Paduka Haji Sidek Ali, high commissioner Brunei, who shared the dais alongside Tofail Ahmed, Minister of the Ministry of Commerce, Government of Bangladesh, Govindas Konthoujam, Minister of Commerce and Industries, Government of Manipur and Th Lokeshwar Singh, speaker of the Manipur Legislative Assembly, who attended as the chief guest, chief host and function president.
DoNER secretary, Naveen Verma, O Nabakishore Singh, chief secretary of Manipur, Siddhant Kaul, president, Indian Chamber of Commerce were also present during the summit.
Delivering his chief guest speech, Bangladesh Minister of Commerce, Tofail Ahmed, said that the summit is very important for the country for which a trade delegation of Bangladesh led by Matlub Ahmed, president of the Bangladesh Chamber of Commerce arrived in Manipur.
Stressing on the need to have better relationship between bangladesh and the eight States of the NE region of India, the Bangladeshi Minister said the region has been close to Bangladesh since the pre-independence of the country.
Over 10 million people have migrated into the region including West Bengal, since the beginning of the revolution of the Bangladesh, he said.
If these regions are developed in termed of infrastructure it would be easy for the Bangladesh to enter into Indian market, said the Minister, he said.
With Manipur the gateway of Bangladesh to India and its neighbouring countries, the Minister stressed the need to sign a MoU between the Chamber of Commerce Manipur and Federation of Bangladesh Chamber of Commerce through which both parties can benefit from each other’s potential in the future.
Given the circumstance drew the attention of the DoNER Secretary, to consider proposal adding that he invited the Chief Minister of Manipur to come to Bangladesh along with a trade delegation.
Northeastern region especially Manipur lying in a strategic points that connecting the East, South and South East Asian countries with India and other neighbouring countries development region has become very crucial at the outset of the Act East policy, said the Minister Govindas Konthoujam, who attended as the chief host of the function.
According him summit like this is necessary from the prospective of easing out norms and regulation for the development of commerce and trade activities which may further open up possibilities of investment in the Northeastern region.
“As the NE region lies in on two hotspots Himalayan range and Myanmar region there is need to development strategies for sustainable use of our Bio-diversity dividends for the economic development of the region”, he said.
Further underlining the potential of the region, he said that Manipur has tremendous potential of aromatic and medicinal plant, export base floriculture, organic farming and area specific horticulture.
He said that Manipur has lot to learn from Bangladesh who emerged as the number exporter of garment in the world, before hoping that the summit would provide forum for exchange of ideas and how to replicate success story.
After the inaugural function a technical session was also held on topic “Development through infrastructure and Connectivity in NE-ASEAN: Trade and Commerce, Tourism”.