Interacting with the students and faculty members of Tripura Central University yesterday Mr Devare highlighted that India had taken up some potential infrastructural projects under LEP for strengthening South Asian regional cooperation.
''Projects like Moreh-Tamu-Kalewa Road, India-Myanmar-Thailand Trilateral Highway, Trans Asian Highway, India-Myanmar rail linkages, Kaladan Multimodal project, the Stilwell road, Myanmar-India-Bangladesh gas and oil pipeline, Tamanthi Hydroelectricity project and optical fibre network between Northeast India and Southeast Asia would help development,'' Mr Devare underlined.
''However, the process of enhancing connectivity between India's Northeast and Southeast Asia is not a cakewalk because there are also geographical, technical, political and security challenges that limit the process of infrastructure development,'' he said.
He pointed out that coherence was required between ASEAN and three major economies of Asia - China, Japan and South Korea.
LEP will provide an opportunity to develop the landlocked Northeast and therefore connectivity between the Northeast and Southeast Asia was essential because most of the volume of trade is conducted through the sea routes of Chittagong (Bangladesh) and Myanmar via Tripura and Mizoram respectively, he added.