NEW DELHI: Connectivity with neighbouring countries would enhance economic development of the north-east, said foreign secretary Harsh Shringla on Saturday, speaking at the Sikkim University.
“Improved infrastructure and connectivity with our neighbours will directly contribute to the economic development of the north-east. It will generate investment, trade and jobs,” he said. The development of the north-east is seen to be directly connected with India’s foreign policy, particularly the Act East policy of the government.
The north-east, he said, “connects us to one of the most economically dynamic and politically significant geographies of the world – ASEAN and Indo-Pacific.”
The MEA, Shringla said, would link Sikkim and north-eastern universities with international institutions. They would launch the Kanchenjunga Dialogue, a Track 2 dialogue, to improve the standing of states in the region including Sikkim as an “education and knowledge hub”.