NAGAS EMERGING IN INDIA'S CREATIVE FIELDS: RIO

A ddressing a gathering at the 2nd North East India Festival in Thailand, Nagaland CM Neiphiu Rio said that the festival will help in connecting the region with Thailand and give a further thrust to the Centre's Act East Policy and Thailand's Act West Policy along with other South East Asian countries.

"The festival is being celebrated to mark India's 75 years of Independence and diplomatic relationship with Thailand," stated a DIPR report quoting Rio.

Stating that the two regions have 'age old social and cultural relations, shared history and ethnicity,' Rio said, "Educating people about the cultural heritage, can help unify and form a close economic collaboration between Northeast India and Southeast Asian nations." "I am hopeful that new vistas of opportunity in trade and tourism, as well as people-to-people and cultural unification, will emerge," the CM added.

Rio further stated that India has been investing extensively in building infrastructure to connect the northeast with the ASEAN countries as part of its Act East Policy.

"The India Myanmar Thailand Trilateral Highway promises to transform the region's economic landscape through trade with the ASEAN and the development of Kaladan Multi Model Transit Transport and building of an Integrated Port and Inland Water Transport Terminal in Sittwe being undertaken in consonance with the Act East Policy of the Government of India provides further impetus to the trade and investment of the NE region with the ASEAN countries," Rio said.