NewDelhi (VNA) – Measures to promote cooperation between India’s easternand northeastern regions and eastern countries were discussed at a workshop in Odishastate, India, from March 16-18.

Held by the Kalinga International Foundation (KIF), the event brought together officialsand scholars of India and 16 countries, including Vietnam, Sri Lanka, Thailand,the Philippines, and Myanmar.

Participants focused their discussion on how to boost economic, culture, tourismand energy cooperation; maritime and security connection in Indian Ocean –Pacific Ocean; and regional connectivity.

In his opening remark, Minister of Petroleum, Skill Development and BusinessDharmendra Pradhan hoped the workshop would help explore common interests of theparties, thus promoting dialogues for their future cooperation.

Meanwhile, KIF Chairman Lalit Mansingh said with the central role in the “ActEast” policy of the Indian Government, the eastern and northeastern regions willbecome partners of friendly neighbouring eastern nations such as Bangladesh, Bhutan,Nepal, Sri Lanka, member states of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations,Australia and Japan.

Addressing the seminar, Vietnamese Ambassador Ton Sinh Thanh highlighted thesignificance of the event as it was organised at the time that India ispromoting the implementation of its “Act East” policy, and economic cooperationbetween the eastern and northeastern regions with eastern countries.

Thereis great prospect for cooperation among India’s northeastern regions regionsand eastern nations thanks to similarities in culture; geographical proximity; theirtraditional ties; their determination to boost economic ties; as well as dynamicdevelopment of both ASEAN and India, he stressed. 

Thediplomat reviewed the ASEAN-India economic cooperation in the last decade,saying that it has reaped remarkable advance.

Two-way trade has doubled, hitting 76 billion USD in 2017, he said, expressedhis belief that the trade between the two side will continuously develop in thefuture.

ASEAN is the fourth largest trade partner of India, while India ranks seventhamong ASEAN’s trade partners. The ASEAN-India investment cooperation alsowitnessed stable growth in recent years. Investment from ASEAN to India hitover 70 billion USD in the last 17 years, accounting for over 17 percent of thecountry’s total foreign direct investment (FDI).

Ambassador Thanh pointed out challenges facing the economic links between the twosides, stressing that the two sides need to make more efforts in improvinginfrastructure and enhancing links, and work closely to maintain peace,security in the Indian Ocean – Pacific Ocean.-VNA