ITANAGAR, Sept 12 - The India-ASEAN Friendship Car Rally was today flagged off from Gaden Namgyal Lhatse Monastery, popularly known as Tawang Monastery at Tawang in Arunachal Pradesh by Arunachal Sports and Youth Affairs Minister Dr Mohesh Chai.
The rally is being initiated by the Arunachal Pradesh Govt and supported by Union Ministries of Tourism, Youth Affairs and Sports and External Affairs along with Royal Thai Embassy in New Delhi to commemorate the 25 years of friendship between India and ASEAN countries.
The rally will traverse through Myanmar, Thailand, Laos and Cambodia, covering a distance of more than 7,000 km in 24 days with a �mission� to boost friendship and people-to-people contact besides promoting trade and tourism by exploring the age-old linkages and connectivity between India and ASEAN countries.
The Minister thanked the organisers for having chosen Tawang for the flag off ceremony and believed that the event would go a long way in promoting the already wellknown place as the main tourism hub in days to come.
Further, the team was accorded a warm reception at Bomdila by the District Administration.
To join this historic rally, a team of 28 Thai delegates with 11 cars led by Rachan Trairat had arrived at Tawang on September 9 last. The Indian team consisting of 38 participants with three Rotary members from Russia will drive 11 Indian cars sponsored by Tata Motors.
B2B meetings are being arranged at Vientiane on September 21 and at Bangkok on September 29 in the sideline of the car rally to promote tourism of Arunachal Pradesh in the ASEAN countries, where the Indian delegates will meet and exchange their views and ideas with local entrepreneurs in Laos and Thailand.
International Friendship Car Rally Association based in Arunachal Pradesh is the organiser of the India-ASEAN Friendship Car Rally 2018.
