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Government Of Assam Act East Policy Department

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Events

    1. Consulate of BBN/ ASEAN Countries in Guwahati:-
      Bhutan has set up its Consulate General Office in Guwahati in 2018. This follows the setting up of the Asst. High Commissioner’s Office of Bangladesh in 2017.The Act East Policy Affairs Department has been pursuing with the Central Ministry of External Affairs for the establishment of consulates of ASEAN and BBN countries in Guwahati; and its efforts have borne fruit with the establishment of the Office of the Consulate General of Bhutan in Guwahati.Meanwhile, the Act East Policy Affairs Department is pursuing with the Central Ministry of External Affairs for the establishment of consulates of the 10 ASEAN bloc countries in Guwahati.
    2. Special Session of ASEAN Countries during Global Investors’ Summit – Advantage Assam 2018:
      Under the aegis of the GIS – Advantage Assam 2018, a Special Session regarding the prospect of Economic Opportunities of Assam with South and South East Asian countries was held. The Session was attended by Hon’ble Chief Minister of Assam, Hon’ble Minister of Act East Policy Affairs Department, concerned Ministers from Bhutan, Bangladesh and 3 ASEAN countries (Myanmar, Cambodia, Laos), and several high level officials from the Central Govt., with the CEO of NITI Aayog acting as the moderator. The Country Director of Asian Development Bank made a Power-point Presentation on the prospects of overall development of the region in the Session.
    3. Organization of the 2nd ASEAN India Youth Summit:
      Act East Policy Affairs Department along with Ministry of External Affairs and India Foundation organized the 2nd ASEAN INDIA YOUTH SUMNIT from 3rd to 7th February, 2019. Delegates from India as well as other ASEAN countries participated in the Event. Hon’ble Chief Minister of Assam, Hon’ble Minister of Act East Policy Affairs Department had put their speeches in the Event.
    4. Ambassadors’ Meet:
      Act East Policy Affairs Department had organized a round table conference of Hon’ble Chief Minister of Assam with Ambassadors, High Commissioners of ASEAN and BBN countries, and their representatives. The meeting was attended by 4 Ambassadors, 2 High Commissioners, 1 Deputy Chief d’ Mission, and 1 Deputy High Commissioner of 8 ASEAN countries; besides the Asst High Commissioner of Bangladesh and the Consul General of Bhutan in Guwahati. The conference discussed ways and means to develop business and cultural relations of Assam and North East India with the ASEAN and BBN countries, and actionable points were documented as a result of the discussions.
    5. Participation in 9th Bangladesh Travel & Tourism Fair 2019:
      Act East Policy Affairs Department participated in the 9th Bangladesh Travel & Tourism Fair 2019 in Dhaka, Bangladesh, w.e.f. 18th to 20th April 2019. The thrust was to open up the Health Care and Higher Education Sectors of Assam to the prospective patients and students respectively from Bangladesh. In the light of this, a number of private health-care institutions and private higher educational institutions attended the Fair under the aegis of the Department.

      The Fair comprised an Exhibition showcasing different countries and regions over a period of 3 (three) days, w.e.f. 18th to 20th April 2019, besides holding of topical seminars and B2B meetings between interested private stakeholders.

      As part of that Exhibition, the Act East Policy Affairs Department set up its Stall showcasing the Private Health Care Sector and Private Higher Educational Sector of Assam – with the objective of promoting medical tourism and education-based tourism in Assam.

      A Seminar on “Prospects of Medical Tourism in Assam” was organized in the afternoon of 19th April 2019. During the seminar, Dr.NiamurRiaz of Hayat Hospital and Dr. Subhash Khanna of Swagat Hospital gave very fine and illustrative presentations on the facilities available for Super Specialty and Multi-Specialty Treatment in Guwahati.

      In the backdrop of the Fair, the Indian High Commission in Dhaka arranged for 3 (three) B2B meetings for our participating Private Higher Educational Institutions. The B2B meetings with Daffodil International University and American International University on 18th April 2019, and with BRAC University on 21st April 2019, involved discussion on prospective Summer Camp, Student Exchange Program on Semester Basis, there was also talk on having academic and technical collaboration and a host of other related ways and means of cooperation.
    6. 2nd Meeting of Indo-Bangladesh Joint Committee on Border Haats:
      The 2nd meeting of the Indo – Bangladesh Joint Committee on Border Haats was held in Sylhet (Bangladesh) on 23rd & 24th April 2019. The Department was represented in the Indian Delegation therein by one of its Deputy Secretaries. It may be noted that Border Haats are rural market places in an enclosed area on the border with a foreign country (viz. Bangladesh), with half of that area in each country, and accessible by separate entrance gates to citizens of both countries within a radial distance of 5 Kms from the Border Haat concerned. The raison d’être of the Border Haats is not only the establishment of traditional system of marketing among local people residing in remote border areas of both countries, but also promotion of people to people contact therein creating a cross-border camaraderie. Among the 6 new Border Haats whose locations were finalized in the aforementioned meeting, 2 numbers fall in the Assam stretch of the Indo-Bangladesh Border: viz. Satrasal in Dhubri District and Latu in Karimganj District.
    7. Bus Tour to Bangladesh and Myanmar(‘SAMPARK YATRA’):
      Act East Policy Affairs Department has organized a bus tour of 15 Hon’ble Members of Assam Legislative Assembly, 13 IAS and ACS Officers and 2 other officers to Bangladesh and Myanmar w.e.f. 26th June, to 5th July, 2019. The delegation was led by the Hon’ble Minister, Act East Policy Affairs Department.  The objectives of the Bus Tour “SamparkYatra” were to sensitize the decision makers of the locational advantage of these countries to the State of Assam and the larger North Eastern Region, and its potential for the economic growth of the region, and also engage in meetings with the industry fraternity and exporters of these countries. The bus tour has been able to accomplish almost all of its stated objectives. The bus tour resulted in a concrete road map for furthering relations with Bangladesh and Myanmar.
    8. India-Bangladesh Stakeholders’ Meet, 2019:
      Act East Policy Affairs Department on the 22nd and 23rd of October 2019 organized the India-Bangladesh Stakeholders’ Meet in Guwahati, in association with the Department of Commerce, Ministry of Commerce, Government of India, on approval from the BM Division of the Ministry of External Affairs.

      The Meet had sought to:
      (i) Generate awareness about the opportunities made available to exporters and transporters by the recent path-breaking agreements between the two countries on connectivity and trade.
      (ii) Address the loose ends during the operationalization of these agreements by identifying the issues, delineating the action points, and forwarding the same to the governmental and non-governmental stakeholders; and
      (iii) Harness comprehensive cooperation of all relevant stakeholders of India and Bangladesh to achieve synergy in cross-border trade between Bangladesh & North East India. The Meet managed to accomplish all these objectives to a significantly large and comprehensive extent.

      The Meet was attended by the relevant stakeholders from both India and Bangladesh – viz.senior officers of the Commerce Ministries, External Affairs/  Foreign Affairs Ministries, Road Transport Ministries and Shipping Ministries of India and Bangladesh; senior officers of the Inland Water Transport authorities, Customs authorities, Land Port, Riverine Port and Marine Port authorities, and other relevant authorities of both the countries; functionaries of the associations of exporters, transporters, freight forwarders and Inland Container Depots (ICDs) of both the countries; functionaries of the major Chambers of Commerce of both the countries; and local industry personnel, academic fraternity, press people and leading citizens. In this regard, the Guests from Bangladesh included:(i)     MR. TIPU MUNSHI, Hon'ble Minister of Commerce, Govt. of Bangladesh; (ii)MR. MASHIUR A K M RAHMAN, Hon'ble Economic Affairs Adviser to the PM of Bangladesh;(iii)H.E. A.T.M. ROKEBUL HAQUE, Hon'ble Deputy High Commissioner of Bangladesh to India,along with 2 other Senior Officers of the High Commission;(iv)          MR. MD. ABDUS SAMAD, Secretary, Ministry of Shipping, Govt. of Bangladesh, along with 5 other Senior Officers of the Ministry – including the respective Chairmen of Chittagong and Mongla Port Authorities;(v)MR. MD.EHSAN E ELAHI, Additional Secretary, Ministry of Road Transport & Bridges, Govt. of Bangladesh,along with 2 other Senior Officers of the Ministry;(vi) Mr. Md.. A.H.M. AHSAN, Joint Secretary to the Govt. of Bangladesh, Ministry of Commerce, along with 1 other Senior Officer of the Ministry;(vii)Member – Land Port Authority of Bangladesh; (viii)3 mem-bers of National Board of Revenue, Bangladesh;(ix)49 Members of different Chambers of Commerce (including Federation of Bangladesh Chambers of Commerce & Industry (FBCCI), India –Bangladesh Chamber of Commerce and Industry (IBCCI), Dhaka Chamber of Commerce & Industry, Metropolitan Chamber of Commerce & Industry, andSylhet Chamber of Commerce & Industry), Freight Forwarders Associations, Clearing and Forwarding Agent Associations, and Transporters Associations from Bangladesh; and(x)       9 numbers of Journalists from Bangladesh.The Guests from within the country included: – viz.(i) Union Ministers of State –                MoRTH [Gen. V.K. Singh (Retd.), andM/o Food Processing Industries [Shri RameswarTeli];(ii)Chief Minister of Tripura, Shri Biplab Kumar Deb;(iii)  Minister, Commerce, etc,, Government of Mizoram; (iv) Commerce Secretary, Secretary – Textiles, and Special Secretary (Logistics) of the Government of India; (v) 19 Senior Officers of the Govt. of India – including the Chairperson (IWAI); (vi) Country Director, Asian Development Bank; and (vii) other senior functionaries of Corporations and Private Institutions.
      The Meet comprised 5 Technical Sessions – besides the Inaugural Session and Valedictory Session.The Technical Sessions comprised:Road Connectivity – including the BBIN Motor Vehicles Agreement and introduction of bus and freight services;(ii)Prospects of Cross-Border Trade through the Surface Route;(iii)  Role of Regulatory Authorities;(iv)Port Use Agreements; and(v)Role of Freight Forwarders and Transporters – including Logistics.

      The Technical Sessions also saw the delineation of Actionable Points – which were presented in the Valedictory Session.

      There were B2B Meetings held in the backdrop of the Stakeholders’ Meet. There were around 50 B2B Meetings. The sectors covered were Tourism, Tea, Agriculture, Food Processing Industries and Mines &Minerals.There were 10 Expressions of Interest (EOIs) signed on the basis of these B2B Meetings – which have the potentiality of graduating to signing of MoUs.
    9. Agreementon Utilization of the Chittagong and Mongla ports of Bangladesh by Vessels from North East India:
      India and Bangladesh recognized that increasing connectivity through air, water, rail road offers mutually beneficial opportunity for enhancing economic cooperation between Bangladesh and the North Eastern States of India and beyond. In order to boost connectivity the leaders of both countries signed the Standard Operating Procedures (SOP) on 5th October, 2019 for the use of Chattogram and Mongla Ports for movements of goods to and from India, particularly to and from the North East of India, which could create a win-win situation for both economies.
    10. Dredging of Brahmaputra and Barak Rivers:
      The AEPA Department had pointed out to the Ministry of Shipping that for ensuring perennial inland water connectivity to the ports of Bangladesh, it is essential to dredge the Brahmaputra and Barak rivers; and followed up the matter regularly. Therefore, the Central Ministry of Shipping has taken up the dredging of these rivers. This would facilitate round the year navigation on these rivers, and ensure smooth access of vessels from Assam to the ports of Chittagong and Mongla.
    11. Establishment of Direct Flights between Guwahati and the major cities of ASEAN and BBN Countries:
      The Act East Policy Affairs Department conceived the idea of extension of the subsidized local flying under UDAN scheme of the Ministry of Civil Aviation to cover the cities of South and South East Asia, considering the proximity of these cities to Guwahati. The Department pursued the matter with the Union Ministry of Civil Aviation along with the Transport Department through – with the State Government committing to provide Rs.100 crores per year for 3 years as its contribution towards the Viability Gap Funding (VGF) for this purpose. This resulted in the formulation of the UDAN (International) Scheme by the Union Ministry of Civil Aviation – under which direct flights from Guwahati to Dhaka started from 1st July 2019. Although it was suspended in October 2019 due to operational reason, it is expected to restart very soon. Meanwhile, Nok Air started a direct flight from Guwahati to Bangkok on a bi weekly basis.
    12. Visit of Delegation of Malaysia-India Business Council (MIBC):
      An MIBC delegation along with Invest India officials visited Assam in November 2019. In this regard, the delegation had meetings with officers of the Act East Policy Affairs and Industries & Commerce Departments of the Government of Assam, besides visiting the offices of Assam Skill Development Mission and Guwahati Smart City Mission. They also signed anMoU with the Industries & Commerce Department.
    13. Conclave on “Act East Connect: Prospects and Challenges”:
      The Act East Policy Affairs Department in collaboration with the Asian Confluence, Shillong organized a day-long Conclave on Act East Connect: Prospects and Challenges on 21st December, 2021 at Hotel Taj Vivanta, Khanapara, Guwahati. The main aim behind the conclave was to disseminate key ideas and brainstorm on how the historical and culture linkages between the Northeast India and the South East Asian countries can be leveraged to bolster organic growth of collaborative ideas, projects and initiatives on the ground.
    14. Conclave on “Act East Connectivity through Northeast”& NADI 3.0 2022:
      Northeast India with over 5300 km of international borders is strategically placed to act as a land bridge between mainland India and the ASEAN countries. Going forward, it is envisaged that the Northeastern states of India and particularly Assam will play a very important role in building strong mutually beneficial economic relations between the ASEAN Countries and India. With a view to facilitate cooperation in trade and investments, and to play a proactive role in furthering the objectives of the Act East Policy, the department of Act East Policy Affairs has taken up an initiative to organize a series of events to highlight the opportunities for trade, investment etc. that improved connectivity with the ASEAN c and other neighboring countries will bring about. The first event in the series, “Act East through Assam: Connectivity Conclave”, was being organized on the 27thof May in Guwahati with support from the Ministry of External Affairs and FICCI as Industry Partner, to mark the first anniversary of the new Government in Assam under the dynamic leadership of Hon’ble Chief Minister, Dr. HimantaBiswaSarma, and to commemorate “India – ASEAN friendship year”.
      ‘NADI 3.0 2022 ’, aflagship event in collaboration with the Asian Confluence and co-hosted by Act East Policy AffairsDepartment, Government of Assam and Ministry of External Affairs, Government ofIndiaheld in Guwahati from 28th – 29thMay 2022.The conference focused on the region south of Himalayas from Ganga, Brahmaputra to Mekong as a contiguity of river basins with common challenges that require close cooperation beyond political borders.The conference aimed at building confidence in the key role of Northeast in taking forward India’s strategic initiative for energy and water security in the neighborhood and the Bay of Bengal region leading towards a vibrant and secure Indo-Pacific.
    15. Visit of Muktijoddhas of Bangladesh Liberation war to Assam:
      As a part of AzadiKaAmritMahotsav and Swarnim Vijay Varsh celebrations regarding celebration of 50thanniversary of 1971 Bangladesh’s Liberation War, the Government of Assam along with the High Commission of India in Dhaka and Ministry of External Affairs organized a programme consisting of a visit to the State of Assam by 25 citizens from Bangladesh (15 Muktijoddhas, journalists and 4 youth members) from 16th – 20thJuly, 2022. The programme included Courtesy meeting with the Hon'ble Chief Minister of Assam, Hon’ble Minister of Act East Policy Affairs and Chief Secretary of Assam Visit of different tourist locations viz. Poa Mecca, Mahabahu Brahmaputra River Cruise Cars, SrimantaShankardevaKalakshetra etc.