Officials from Manipur to speak at Vietnam summit

New Delhi, Feb 10: With an aim to attracting more investment from the ASEAN countries to the north eastern states, the ministry of development of north eastern region (DoNER) in association with the Indian Chamber of Commerce (ICC), Indian diplomatic mission in Ho Chi Minh City and Vietnam Chamber of Commerce and Industries is organising a three-day ASEAN North East India Investment and Trade Opportunities Summit in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam from February 12 to 14 this year.Officials at the DoNER ministry said the event is being organised in Vietnam so as to ensure maximum participation from the ASEAN countries. They said all the chief ministers of the region had been invited to the meet to showcase their states as attractive investment destinations.The DoNER ministry had earlier organised a `North East India Trade and Investment Opportunities Week` in Bangkok and a North East Investment Opportunity Day in New York. The decision to hold an investment week in Vietnam came after envoys and representatives of over 10 ASEAN countries participated in the 4th North East Business Summit held in Guwahati in September 2008. The summit generated a high degree of investment interest in the region by the ASEAN countries and now we want to take it forward, officials said.They said the ASEAN countries as well as many European nations had shown interest in investing in the region. "We are also planning to take envoys of many European nations to the north east as they have also shown keen interest in investing in the region," they said. Officials said even envoys of some Arab countries have expressed interest in visiting the region to explore possibilities for investment.The state delegations from the north east states today left their respective states to proceed to Ho Chi Minh City for the summit. The state delegations will discuss trade and investment in the agriculture, infrastructure, tourism and IT sectors with their Vietnamese counterparts at the event.Sources from the DoNER ministry said more than 70 companies from different business sectors in north east India had already confirmed their participation in the event.A high profile delegation of corporate organizations from various parts of India will be present in the Ho Chi Minh City for the summit and have their first time one-to-one meeting with Vietnamese counterparts.Laos minister of industries and commerce, Dr. Nam Viyaketh will deliver the inaugural address on February 12 in the presence of ministers of the north-eastern states of India and dignitaries from Vietnam and India.In the inaugural session, the secretary general of the Indian Chamber of Commerce, Dr. Rajeev Singh will deliver welcome address. It will be followed by a multimedia presentation on `Opportunities unlimited` introducing north east India. Secretary of DoNER Jarnail Singh will present the keynote address, tourism minister of Meghalaya Conrad Sangma, trade and commerce minister of Mizoram Lalrinliana Sailo and agriculture minister of Sikkim Somnath Paudyal will make special address to the gathering. Deputy minister of Vietnam Bin Xuan Khu will also deliver his speech as guest of honour. It will be followed by the inaugural address of Dr. Nam Viyaketh. The inauguration of exhibition of the products of north east India will take place on the first day.The session on tourism to be held on the second day will be chaired by the tourism minister of Meghalaya Conrad K Sangma and the managing director of Himalayan Holidays Tsering Wange will make a presentation on tourism opportunities in north east India followed by a panel discussion to be attended by agriculture minister of Sikkim Somnath Paudyal, parliamentary secretary of Nagaland Dr. KC Nihoshe, trade and commerce secretary of Mizoram Esther Lal Ruatkimi, tourism director of Manipur H Deleep Singh and industries and commerce director VG Jenner. People`s Committee of Ho Chi Minh City, department of culture, sports and tourism, Vietnam will make a presentation on Ho Chi Minh City in respect of tourism. In the session of infrastructure, trade and commerce minister Lalrinliana Sailo will be the chairman. The Indian Chamber of Commerce will make a presentation on the infrastructure opportunities in north east India which will be followed by a panel discussion of agriculture minister of Sikkim Somnath Paudyal, chief secretary of Meghalaya Ranjan Chatterji, commissioner of Nagaland Imkonglemba, industries and commerce director of Tripura VG Jenner and superintendent engineer of power, Manipur, N Dwijen Singh. In the session on agriculture, food processing, handloom and handicrafts, agriculture minister of Sikkim Somnath Paudyal will be the chairman. Cane and Bamboo Technology Centre, India director and president of World Bamboo Association Kamesh Salam will make presentation on agro and food opportunities in north east India which will be followed by a panel discussion comprising of parliamentary secretary of Nagaland Dr. KC Neosho, principal secretary of Meghalaya VS Oberoi, industries and commerce director of Tripura VG Jenner, managing director of Manipur Food Industries Corporation Ltd. N Joykumar Singh and Mizoram Entrepreneurship Network Joseph I Ralte. In the afternoon of the second day, there will be a session on Cambodia-Lao-Vietnam Development Triangle (CLV-DT) and NE India with secretary of DoNER Jarnail Singh in the chair. In the session, additional chief secretary (planning) of Manipur DS Poonia will make a presentation followed by one-to-one meetings.In the valedictory session on February 14, the topic on - `Southeast regional Integration-building international partnerships` will be discussed by eminent leaders from the countries namely Singapore, Vietnam, India, Indonesia, Canada, Malayasia, Korea, Lao, Bangladesh and Cambodia. It will be followed by one-to-one meetings exclusively between Indian delegates and foreign delegates present in Vietnam so that the concrete business and investment deals can be generated in the near future.