GUWAHATI, Nov 19 - Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal today flagged off the Indo-Myanmar-Thailand Friendship Motor Rally at a city hotel.
Asserting that the trilateral highway connecting India-Myanmar-Thailand would bring a lot of economic benefits to the State and the region, Sonowal said the car rally is part of the government�s �Act East Policy�, which is going to bring about a huge transformation in the North East.
The rally will cover a distance of 5,722 km along the IMT Trilateral Highway with about 80 participants from all the three countries travelling in 20 India-made vehicles on a journey originating in New Delhi and culminating in Bangkok, spanning a period of 19 days.
The rally seeks to sensitise people about the future possibility of travelling from India to Thailand through Myanmar along an all-weather road.
Sonowal said that gestures such as the rally would serve as a facilitator in improving the region�s relations with the neighbouring countries and break barriers of national borders in bringing the people of the South East Asian countries closer.
�By increasing people-to-people contact, an environment of brotherhood and unity can be achieved between different countries and endeavours like car rallies can be a good platform for international social exchanges. Youth of the stakeholder nations would be encouraged to mingle among themselves, that would result in new-age progressive societies,� he said.
The CM added that the geographical disadvantage of the State and the region would be turned into an advantage as the trilateral highway would facilitate massive economic activities with the neighbouring countries and the focus would be shifted from the mainland to the northeastern part of the country in view of opening of the gateway to South East Asia.
Sonowal said State government wants to highlight the Brahmaputra at the global level in line with the Namami Gange Project of the Centre and the tourism potential of the river would be fully utilised so that it can bring economic benefits to the people of the State.
