The Centre is organising a two-day 'North East Business Summit' later this month to attract investment from Asean and other neighbouring countries to the Northeastern region.
The Ministry of Development of North East Region (DONER) has extended invitation to envoys of all Asean and SAARC countries for the summit scheduled to be held on September 15-16 in Guwahati.
"We are expecting a battery of VIPs from Asean and other neighbouring countries to attend the summit," a top official of the DONER Ministry said.
Business delegations from Asean (Association of Southeast Asian nations) and SAARC countries were also invited to the summit to raise awareness in South East Asia about the Northeastern region, he said.
Several Union Ministers, including External Affairs Minister Pranab Mukherjee and Minister of State for Commerce Jairam Ramesh, are expected to participate in the summit.
To attract investment to the region, the Ministry had organised a 'Northeast India Investment Conference' in New York and 'Northeast Investment Promotion Week' in Thailand last year.
The DONER ministry has prepared Vision 2020 Document for socio-economic development of the Northeast.
Vision 2020 Document, unveiled by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh in July, for the first time quantified the need to bring the growth rate in region to the national level.
As per the document, investment amounting to Rs 14 lakh crore will be required over the next 12 years to achieve this goal.
The summit is being organised jointly by Indian Chamber of Commerce and the DONER Ministry.
