He emphasized on the concept of Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) and spoke at length on ASEAN India linkages. He further said that ASEAN India projects on Agriculture, Science & Technology, Space, Environment & Climate Change, Human Resource Development, Capacity Building, New & Renewable Energy, Tourism, People to People Contacts, Connectivity and ASEAN India Cooperation Funds such as ASEAN India S&T fund, ASEAN India Green Fund have its impact on the region. Mentioning about the Trilateral highway connecting Moreh – Tamu-Mae Sot and Kaladan Multi modal connectivity tract and the Transforming corridors which extends to Cambodia, Myanmar, Laos and Vietnam and also the India-Myanmar-Thailand Motor Vehicle Agreement,  a tunnel under Sela Pass connecting Dirang and Tawang and also the UDAN Scheme on Air connectivity, he stressed on the significance of regional connectivity vis-à-vis local area connectivity improvements. 

 

He also spoke at length on Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation highlighting the works of Bay of Bengal Initiative Multi Sectoral Technology Economic Cooperation (BIMSTEC) involving the neighbouring countries of Bangladesh, India, Sri Lanka, Thailand, Myanmar, Nepal and Bhutan. He further opined that the Arunachal Pradesh being the largest state in Northeast has its strategic importance to India and vital to northeast in particular in the backdrop of a neighbor claiming it to be theirs. With the state’s huge resources of Medicinal plants like ginseng , yew and other flora and fauna, cash crops like ginger and quinoa, Hydro potentiality and mineral resources, besides hold on tourism front with geo-politically important places like the Pangsau Pass, the Stilwell Road, Buddhist monasteries have a tremendous scope to grow.

 

The Ambassador suggested for creation of Northeast Implementation Agency within Act East Policy itself and said that involving State Governments in meetings with neighbouring countries by creating platform for Sub State diplomacy is the need of the hour to bring the region to the vast Southeast Asian nations. He also suggested for improving Border Trade by opening Border Haats and Border Points however drawing apprehensions about the related Cross border crimes such as goods, arms and human trafficking besides the problem of pumping in of counterfeit Indian currency. Citing the developing synergies between India’s Act East policy and Japan’s Free and Open Indo Pacific Strategy, the former Ambassador was optimistic that the people of the region will immensely benefit from the India-Japan cooperation on development of India’s North Eastern Region (NER).

 

The Finance Officer and senior professor in Economics of the university Prof. Amitava MItra in his closing remarks said that 1991 being a remarkable year when this policy was formulated as Look East Policy has shifted India’s focus from the west to booming south-east Asia and exert influence as well as derived benefits from the south-east Asian economies and India subsequently became a sectoral dialogue partner and later on the full dialogue partner with ASEAN. The policy however has more of internal angles to look into rather than external angles only and felt that there is absolute need of having a policy like AEP towards improving connectivity issues of the region. He call for attention on the role of the executing agencies in the Govt. of India to expedite the development of infrastructure in terms of physical, digital and marketing in a wholesome manner towards achieving the set visions enshrined in the Act EastPolicy and benefit the region fully, as the act is geo-politically, economically and culturally relevant for the region.

 

Earlier, while delivering the welcome address Prof. Tomo Riba, Registrar in-charge of the University, said that the talk is of immense value and would benefit the academic world in particular and society in general. Prof. Sudhir Kumar Singh, Dean Faculty of Social Science and Lisa Lomdak, Assistant Professor in Tribal Studies also spoke. Moji Riba, Assistant Professor in Mass Communication moderated the lively interactive session right after the lecture in which Ambassador Warjri attended to the volleys of curious questions and observations put forward by faculty members and research scholars. Later Dr. David Pertin, Joint Registrar of the university who also coordinated the event while proposing the Vote of Thanks said that the lecture series is one such programmes through which the University intends to cover vital areas having its impact on the society in one way or the other and divulged that more such talks are in the offing with scheduling of dates and speakers with the Think-Tanks in Ministry of External Affairs, GoI and New Delhi based Ananta Centre taking keen interest to host more of such lectures and talks.