SHILLONG, Aug 9 - An ASEAN study centre was inaugurated at the North Eastern Hill University (NEHU) here on Monday.
The study centre will function from the Indian Council of Social Science and Research (ICSSR) Centre located at the NEHU campus and facilitate ASEAN-India research projects and studies.
Minister of State for External Affairs VK Singh was scheduled to inaugurate the centre, but cancelled his trip due to other engagements. In his absence, the centre was inaugurated by the Secretary (East) of the Ministry of External Affairs, Preeti Saran.
Diplomats from Philippines, Vietnam, Thailand, Cambodia, Indonesia, Philippines, Laos, and Singapore attended the inauguration ceremony.
It may be mentioned here that Prime Minister Narendra Modi had announced the setting up of the study centre here during his address at the 13th ASEAN-India summit at Kuala Lumpur last November.
Emphasising India�s commitment to the implementation of the master plan on ASEAN connectivity, Saran said that physical connectivity and people-to-people contact are the goals before India and the ASEAN nations.
In this regard, efforts are on to extend the India-Myanmar-Thailand Trilateral Highway to Laos, Cambodia and Vietnam, she said, adding that the process to set up a Special Economic Zone in Sittwe, Myanmar, is on.
Meanwhile, CJ Thomas, Deputy Director, ICSSR, and member secretary of the study centre, giving an insight into the centre, said that scholars would undertake researches on cross border trade, exchanges and security.
There will be conference and lecture rooms, and scholars will be given projects on different themes. There will also be a documentation centre related to literature and culture of the ten ASEAN countries.
�The ASEAN centre will draw academicians from all universities across the north-eastern States. It will enhance mutual understanding and develop cross-border exchanges between India and ASEAN countries. The centre will be a great blessing for the scholars of the North Eastern region,� he said.
A three-year vision project has been developed for the centre. The first year will focus on cross-border trade, the second year on security and the following year, the focus will be on ASEAN-India relationship.
�The faculty members will be from all the ten ASEAN countries and they will visit the centre from time to time,� Thomas said.
