By IANS
New Delhi : With Thailand keen to boost economic cooperation with northeastern India, a northeast investment opportunities week will be held in Bangkok in the first week of October to showcase the investment potential of the region.
"Thailand's Commerce Minister (Krirk-Krai Jirapaet) has suggested that we hold a northeast investment opportunities week in Bangkok in the first week of October," Minister for Development of the Northeastern Region (DoNER) Mani Shankar Aiyar told the media here Tuesday.
"My ministry is working hard to make this event a success," said the minister, who signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with the National Association of Software and Services Companies (Nasscom) to roll out an IT-ITeS industry assessment test in the northeast.
He said that the Thai minister was extremely keen to step up economic cooperation between his country and northeastern India.
Jirapaet had come on a four-day visit to the northeast last month during which he visited Assam, Meghalaya and Tripura exploring investment opportunities.
"Now the minister wants to visit the rest of the states in the region as well," Aiyar said.
In April this year, Jirapaet was the chief guest at a valedictory session of the 3rd Northeast Business Summit organised by the DoNER ministry and the Indian Chamber of Commerce in New Delhi.
During that event Aiyar had invited Thailand to become a partner for progress in India's northeast, saying that the region had much in common with the Southeast Asian nation.
On his part, Jirapaet had said that Thailand would cooperate in all the areas suggested by Aiyar, including road construction, inland water transport and rubber production.
"But before that, I would like to go (to the northeast) and see the region with my own eyes."
Stating that his ministry is working vigorously for investment promotion in the northeast, Aiyar Tuesday said that apart from the planned event in Bangkok, a similar one was being planned in New York later this year.
He said that a list of consultancy agencies has been drawn up for development projects in the region.
"DoNER has circulated a list of consultants among the northeastern states. These consultants can help prepare better DPRs (detailed project reports)."
The minister added that he was in consultation with the union cabinet secretary to enhance the staff strength of his ministry.