US to encourage businessmen to invest in northeast: Envoy

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IANS | 29 Oct, 2014
The US government and its diplomatic missions in India will encourage American businessmen to invest in India's resource-rich northeast region, a top US diplomat said Agartala Wednesday.

"The US government did not invest directly in various infrastructure and industrial sectors in other countries. The US government and its missions in India can play a consultative role to persuade the US businessmen and investors to do business in northeast region of India," US Consul General in Kolkata Helen LaFave told reporters.

She said: "US missions and the government are keen to disseminate information, inputs and necessary details among the investors and businessmen so that the possible investors could be encouraged."

The envoy said the US government and its missions in India can help the northeastern states in various ways to curb cross-border drugs and narcotics menace and human trafficking.

"The judiciary, law-makers, politicians, security forces, NGOs and other stake holders must work together to deal with the drugs, narcotics menace and human trafficking."

The consul general after visiting Assam, Meghalaya, Manipur, Sikkim and Mizoram came to Left-ruled Tripura Monday on a three-day visit.

The visit is aimed at knowing better the resource-rich northeastern region that borders China, Myanmar, Bhutan, Bangladesh and Nepal.

During the tour, the US diplomat was meeting ministers, influential personalities, bureaucrats, leaders of trade and business sectors.

Stressing on connectivity, LaFave said: "Northeast region of India must have good connectivity with the neighbouring countries and other southeast Asian nations to boost trade and business besides to improve people to people contacts."

She said one of the main aims of the US government was to increase the ties between America and northeast India through outreach visits like this one to share ideas on issues of mutual interest.

"India and the US are cooperating each other in diverse areas. One of the areas of interest in particular is how northeast India integrates with South East Asia through the (India's) 'Look East Policy'."

"The Indo-Pacific Economic Cooperation encouraged integration between South Asia and South East Asia in economic, commercial and security sectors, and northeast India is at the right position to obtain benefit of this cooperation," she said.

LaFave said during a meeting between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and US President Barack Obama last month in Washington it was reaffirmed that the two countries would work together.