Assam CM to attend dinner hosted by PM for ASEAN leaders

Guwahati: Assam Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal has been invited to a dinner hosted by Prime Minister Narendra Modi for all the 10 members of the Association of South East Asian Nations (ASEAN) today.

Considering the crucial role that Assam and other northeastern states can play in the success of the Act East Policy, the prime minister has invited the chief minister to be present at the dinner, an official release said here.

All the heads of state of ASEAN, a regional grouping of 10 south east Asian countries, have been invited as chief guests at the Republic Day parade and the prime minister is hosting a dinner in their honour tonight, the release said.

The ASEAN leaders have already arrived in the national capital for the ASEAN-India Commemorative Summit to celebrate 25 years of India-ASEAN partnership. The Act East Policy aims at better interaction with ASEAN countries, with Assam and other northeastern states having a special place in the implementation of the Act East Policy.

Assam government is organising a two-day Global Investors Summit for the first time from February 3 next with the tagline ‘Advantage Assam: India s Expressway to ASEAN’. A numbers of ministers from ASEAN countries are expected to be present at the summit, the release added.