NE Region Gateway To $200-Bn Trade With ASEAN: PM Modi

New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday said that India’s trade with ASEAN countries, which currently stands at approximately $125 billion, is expected to exceed $200 billion in the coming years with the North-East states playing a key role as a strategic trade bridge and gateway to the South-East Asian markets.

Inaugurating the Rising North East Investors Summit here, he highlighted the importance of the India-Myanmar-Thailand Trilateral Highway, which will provide direct access from Myanmar to Thailand, strengthening India’s connectivity with Thailand, Vietnam, and Laos.PM Modi underscored the government’s efforts to expedite the Kaladan Multimodal Transit Project, which will link the Kolkata Port to Myanmar’s Sittwe Port, providing a crucial trade route through Mizoram.

He stated that this project will significantly reduce the travel distance between West Bengal and Mizoram, enhancing trade and industrial growth.Highlighting the ongoing development of Guwahati, Imphal, and Agartala as Multi-Modal Logistics Hubs, the Prime Minister noted that the establishment of Land Custom Stations in Meghalaya and Mizoram is further expanding international trade opportunities.