Meet explores means to develop trade, connectivity, climate change mitigations
Shillong, Nov 27: The Meghalaya Chapter of the 18-month project United States Indo-Pacific Strategy: North-Eastern Dialogues (USIPS NED) was held in Shillong on Tuesday.
This series of dialogues held by United States Consulate General Kolkata and Observer Research Foundation (ORF) across North East aims at building awareness about the US Indo-Pacific Strategy in the region, stated a press release.
The dialogues explore means of developing trade, connectivity, and climate change mitigation in the region, through potential India-US cooperation.
Of the 37 stakeholders of Meghalaya Chapter diverse sectors, 27 joined in-person and 10 digitally in the dialogue, according to the release.
Sampath Kumar, principal secretary; Forest and Environment; Reiwad Wajiri, former Ambassador of India fellow of Asian Confluence; and Nilanjan Ghosh, director, ORF were among the participants.
The dialogue took up issues related to surface connectivity infrastructure, which is vital for connecting the North East to the Indo-Pacific via Bay of Bengal.
In his address, Nilanjan Ghosh said, “The USIPS NED Meghalaya Chapter’s aim is to bring forth innovative solutions in the field of trade, connectivity, infrastructure and climate resilience that meet the aspirations of the people belonging to the North East.”
Principal secretary Sampath Kumar said, “The role of these dialogues is to provide an enabling environment that fosters growth, especially within the youth, as 49% of Meghalaya’s population is below the age of 18, making the role of the youth demographic dividend imperative, in contributing to Shillong regaining its image as an intellectual capital.”
