India Working with Neighbours to Boost NE Infra: Act East Policy

NEW DELHI: Describing the north-east as the link between two fundamental pillars of India’s foreign policy — Neighbourhood First and Act East — foreign secretary Harsh Shringla said on Thursday that India was working with its neighbours and other friendly countries like Japan to improve infrastructure and connectivity in the region, while also facilitating greater regional integration.
“We have a vision for this region that is captured in the 3 Cs — connectivity, commerce, and cultural commonalities,” said Shringla.
Shringla said India and Japan had taken up projects for economic modernisation of the north-east and regional connectivity. “Under this initiative, several projects in the area of connectivity, water and sanitation and forest management are currently ongoing in different north-eastern states,” he said, addressing a virtual event.
On connectivity with Bangladesh, he said India was upgrading the infrastructure of Land Customs Stations for enabling smooth cross-border movement of goods and people. He recalled that a new inland waterways route connecting Tripura to Bangladesh was also operationalised recently.
While India is working on the Kaladan Multimodal Transit Transport Project in Myanmar, he said there was also progress on the India-Myanmar-Thailand Trilateral Highway connecting the north-east with Myanmar and Thailand. “The first will give the north-east access to the sea. The second will provide land connectivity with south east Asia. Two international entry/ exit points were inaugurated at Tamu-Moreh and Rih-Zowkhawthar to increase connectivity with Myanmar,” Shringla said.

Source : TOI