KOHIMA, DECEMBER 8 (PTI): As part of market access initiative of the Union Commerce Ministry, a 14-member team from Nagaland, comprising government officials and entrepreneurs, has visited Myanmar on a study tour in a bid to boost bilateral commerce, particularly border trade between the two neighbours. The study tour was a follow up action to the pact signed between the Government of India and Myanmar Trade committee on October 17 at Mandalay since Nagaland shares nearly a 300 km border with Myanmar and potential of border trade is very promising.
In addition to the existing two border trade centre, Pangsha (Tuensang) and Longwa (Mon), the government identified a few more such trade centres and necessary infrastructure is being developed, particularly road communication in border areas. OSD to state industries department M K Mero, who led Nagaland team to Myanmar, told PTI today that among others, we mainly focus on opening up of trade centre at Avangkhu in Phek district during our interactions with the Federation of Industries and Commerce, Myanmar.”
On the trade centre of Moreh-Tamu in Manipur, Mero said two-way trade can commence between Avangkhu and Layshi town in Myanmar, which is hardly 30 km from the international border, Mero said. Since we have initiated infrastructure development on this side of the border, we insisted on improvement of road communication on other side during our discussion so that formal Avangkhu-Layshi border trade takes place, he said. The Nagaland team also discussed possibility of enhancing cooperation in areas such as tourism, cultural exchanges and people-to-people contact.
