The decision to invite the heads of all 10 ASEAN nations as guests for the Republic Day celebrations next year shows India's commitment to strengthening the ties with the regional bloc, President Ram Nath Kovind said today.
He also said the growth of the Northeast region is linked to the development of neighbouring countries, including the ASEAN nations.
"We have invited all the 10 leaders of ASEAN countries to be our honoured guest for the Republic Day celebrations next year. This will be a historic event and that shows our commitment to strengthening out relationship with Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) nations," he said.
"The development of the Northeast is tied to the development of India's neighbours and ASEAN nations. Friendly partner countries from other regions are also integral to our vision for the Northeast and can contribute substantially," Kovind said.
He said the geographical position of the Northeast region makes it the "obvious gateway" of India, linking the economies of the Indian subcontinent and ASEAN nations. This potential has to be tapped.
"The states of the Northeast are true drivers of India's Act East policy," the president said.
He noted that initiatives such as the India-Myanmar- Thailand trilateral highway and the Kaladan multi-modal transit transport project are "critical" for many ASEAN countries and northeast India.
Kovind said the Northeast region is also a corridor for many trade and connectivity initiatives such as the Bangladesh-India-Nepal-Bhutan (BBIN) Initiative and the Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation (BIMSTEC).
The president was addressing the inaugural session of the "North-East Development Summit", a two-day event organised by India Foundation, a think tank with links to the BJP and the Manipur government.
Manipur Governor Najma Heptullah and chief ministers of Manipur, Assam, Arunachal Pradesh, Nagaland, Union ministers Suresh Prabhu, K J Alphons and Jayant Sinha were present at the occasion.
The president said that in the past three years, railway lines have "finally come" to Arunachal Pradesh and extensive development of railway links in the Northeast is underway with an investment totalling Rs 90,000 crore.
Road building in the region is "easier than it has ever been", he said.
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