Sagaing Region Chief Minister, Dr Myint Naing, has said he is looking forward to working closely with India’s Manipur on Agriculture, Infrastructure, and Tourism, Mizzima News has reported.
He was addressing the India-Myanmar Chamber of Commerce and the Sagaing Promoters Group meet on cross-border and regional cooperation in Mandalay on January 30.
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“Sagaing has a special relationship with India because our region is bordered by 4 states of northeast India – Nagaland, Mizoram, Arunachal Pradesh, and of course, Manipur. Looking across the room here warms my heart because I feel surrounded by good friends and neighbours,” Dr Myint Naing said.
Dwelling at length on his recent visit to India, he said, “There, I had the opportunity to learn the successful actions taken by leaders of the Indian states to bring prosperity to their regions. I also made good friends with my counterparts in the Indian government as well as your colleagues within the Indian business community.”
Stressing the importance of increased connectivity across Indo-Myanmar border along Manipur, Dr Myint Naing said, “We really value the relationship we have with you. You are our gateway to your great country of India, an ancient and rich civilization that we, in Myanmar share a long history and culture with. It is my great hope that increased connectivity across our borders will lead to greater cooperation and prosperity to our states and our countries. We have a great future in increasing our border trade activities, in key trade routes such the Tamu-Moreh border.”
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Dr Myint Naing also made it a point that Sagaing is the largest producer of beans and pulses in Myanmar and India is the major importer of Myanmar’s beans, accounting for 60-80% of Myanmar’s exports.
He also said his government is keen to showcase Sagaing’s natural beauty and develop it as an attractive destination for ecotourism.
“We understand that we need to increase our infrastructure such as roads, accommodation; increase our human capital with training and understanding to cater to global and local tourists; and at the same time, develop and implement policies to protect our beautiful natural environment and local customs and livelihoods,” he added.