Jaishankar pushes in for connectivity from Arabian Sea to South China Sea

New Delhi, Feb 17: External Affairs Minister Dr. S Jaishankar has pitched for connectivity from the "Arabian Sea to the South China Sea" even as New Delhi and Tokyo work together in tandem.

 

Speaking at an event in Guwahati, Jaishankar said, "approach to create connectivity to and within Assam, beyond to the North-East, then to neighbouring Myanmar and Bangladesh, but eventually push all the way by road, by sea, by air to Vietnam, to Japan."

 

With an aim to connect northeast with East Asia, India is working on a number of connectivity projects. These include India-Myanmar-Thailand Trilateral Highway in order to expand it to Vietnam via Laos.

 

 

It should be noted that the Kaladan Multimodal transport link will provide North East access via Sittwe Project and the Paletwa Inland Water Terminal. Speaking about the BIMSTEC masterplan, there is progress going on transport connectivity via 264 projects.

 

Naming it "natural and close", Jaishankar lauded India Japan partnership. He said, "India-Japan collaboration has always had a central place in our national modernization and development efforts." Japan has been involved in the funding of the Guwahati water supply project, road connectivity in the northeast, construction of a primary school in Manipur etc.

 

 

Recently New Delhi and Tokyo reached a pact for people from India to jo to Japan under "specified skilled workers" visa and will increase in people to people engagement.

 

He also highlighted that Assam is becoming a major player in producing refined petroleum products and "a pipeline to supply Bangladesh high-speed diesel is an important beginning". India and Nepal recently opened a cross country oil pipeline, the first such pipeline in South Asia.