Our Correspondent
Kohima, Sep. 23 (EMN): While stating that the Northeast region is the gateway to India for Southeast Asian countries, the chief representative of Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) India, Takema Sakamoto Saturday underscored the need to improve security challenges in the NE region in order to facilitate intra-regional connectivity in this part of the world.
Delivering the keynote address at the second-day of North East Connectivity Summit at NBCC Convention Centre, Kohima, Sakamoto observed that the NE region is placed in an ideal and strategic location, and therefore expressed his hope that it (region) will grow to be an important trading centre for the entire Southe4ast Asian region once there is improvement in the security sector.
While informing that JICA is taking up many ongoing projects in the NE region, Sakamoto, on behalf of the agency, assured to extend their support to the region in all possibilities.
“For Northeast, we would like to be a stronger supporter. This is just the beginning, yet, we are very keen to support the region and we are happy to serve you,” the JICA representative said and shared desire to lay a stronger foundation to develop the NE region.
Mentioning some of the difficulties and challenges faced in the region, Sakamoto also stressed the need to overcome the challenges in order to have a good track record.
“No private company/sector will come to the region without a good track record,” Sakamoto said and urged all concerned stakeholders to render their best in the effort to let the region maintain a good track record, which he said will be the key in inviting outsiders to invest in the region.
He further assured that JICA will continue to contribute towards developing intra-regional connectivity in the NE region.
Established in 1974, JICA is the primary Japanese governmental agency responsible for technical cooperation component of Japan’s bilateral ODA (Japan’s Official Development Assistance) programme.
Other speakers for the session were Saibal De, CEO, IL&FS, Maritime, Inland Waterways, Mahboob Ahmed, MD, Shipwrights, Dhaka, Md Nazrul Islam Khan, Director, Biman, Bangladesh, Prof Narasimha K. Koka, CEO, Lamda Power Greenco, Amland Basu, AVS, River Line Pvt Ltd, Subhanil Banerjee, policy analyst, Cuts International and Commissioner & Secretary, Transport, Nagaland.
The session was chaired by Chief Secretary of Nagaland, Pankaj Kumar.
