The summit also saw the participation of all the major business associations and industries of the State.
BHUBANESWAR: Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik on Friday pressed for strengthening of trade and cultural ties between Odisha and Association of South-East Asian Nations (ASEAN). In the run up to Make in Odisha-2022 scheduled from November 30 to December 4, the Chief Minister interacted with the ASEAN Heads of Missions as part of a Business Summit.
He said Odisha is the gateway to the ASEAN region. “The State has the boon of geography and has been blessed with natural resources and major ports on the Bay of Bengal. As we move to a modern world, connected more and more through technology, I hope that we can renew the strong ties between our two regions,” Naveen told ambassadors and representatives of South Asian countries.
The Chief Minister invited the ambassadors to attend the mega industrial conclave along with their trade delegations. Stating that the MIO Conclave is a great platform to further strengthen the business ties between the two regions, he said, the State government will facilitate the business meetings with local companies and the trade delegations of ASEAN. He also requested them to set up country desks in the International Pavilion to be set up at the conclave.
Ambassador to Royal Thai Embassy Pattarat Hongtong, who led the team, said there is a huge potential for trade and cultural relations with Odisha. “The historical trade and cultural ties between Odisha and ASEAN span over 2500 years. Still there is huge scope for exchanges in food processing, services, hospitality and medical tourism,” she said.
The delegation of ASEAN Heads of Missions in India had arrived here on Wednesday for a three-day visit to the State.to explore business opportunities after accepting the invitation by the Chief Minister during the Ambassadors’ Meet held at New Delhi in August.Principal Secretary of Industries department Hemant Sharma said the three-day visit by the ASEAN delegation to Odisha has been a historic one, rekindling the strong cultural and trade ties between the two regions.
“This visit will open up new avenues for not only Government to Government but also Business to Business and People to People contact. It can also establish Odisha as the epicentre of India’s trade ties with South East Asia,” he added.The Business Summit was attended by senior government officials led by Chief Secretary Suresh Mahapatra, Development Commissioner PK Jena and Secretary to CM (5T) VK Pandian. The summit also saw the participation of all the major business associations and industries of the State.
