Assam chief minister Sarbananda Sonowal on Friday made an appeal to the Ambassadors of ASEAN countries and other important strategic partners of India such as Germany, Turkey, Israel, Afghanistan, Kazakhistan to send their business delegates to the first-ever Global Investors’ Summit slated to be held in the month of February next year. The chief minister was speaking at a meeting held in New Delhi on Friday.
Sonowal’s meeting with the foreign envoys was a part of a series of activities that the state government has been convening to woo investors to Assam and unfurl the mutually cooperative investment and business landscape of the state.
In the meeting, Sonowal specifically presented the inherent potential, prosperities and possibilities of Assam. A presentation was given to make the envoys aware of Assam and the business opportunities and the geo-strategic location that the state enjoys to become the gateway to the 10 South East Asian countries. Sonowal apprised the envoys of the state’s turn around to a growing economy with a promise to expedite economic development.
The chief minister drew the attention of the ambassadors to Assam’s business and investment friendly climate which has been unleashed especially by the declaration of Act East Policy by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
Chief minister Sonowal also said that the state government is committed to creating a congenial ecosystem for attracting investments and is already working for creating the desired skilled manpower and ensuring complete ease of doing business among others. Making a strong pitch for investment in Assam, Sonowal underscored Modi’s importance to Assam and other Northeast states and said, “Assam is a springboard for India’s Act East Policy as the region has been appropriately termed as Ashtalakshmi”.
Sonowal also invited the Ambassadors to join the state’s first Global Investors’ Summit “Advantage Assam” on February 3-4, 2018 along with business delegations from their countries.
Expressing his interests to work with the Assam government, Ambassador of Singapore Lim Thuan Kuan said, “Assam has a lot of advantages for business and our companies are very interested in the prevailing opportunities in Assam”. Other Ambassadors also appreciated the initiatives of the Assam government and expressed their willingness to work with the state to enhance cooperation.
Sonowal also held one-on-one interaction with Japan Ambassador Kenji Hiramatsu. Sonowal, while appraising the Japanese Ambassador of Assam’s vast and verdant natural resources, invited investments from Japan and offered his total and unconditional support in this regard.
Industries and commerce minister Chandramohan Patowary was also present during the interaction.
The state government delegation also held an interactive meeting with civil aviation ministry and senior representatives from aviation industry to highlight the opportunity to enhance air connectivity of Assam and the Northeast with South Asian countries and other parts of India.
