Itanagar: Arunachal Pradesh Governor Lt Gen (Retd) Nirbhay Sharma has urged the Centre to hold immediate talks with both Bangladesh and China to settle border disputes.
Speaking at a seminar at Guwahati yesterday, he said the Arunachal Pradesh government was always concerned with security of the state as it shared a border with China.
Advocated for friendly relations with China, he said, "A friendly relation should be maintained with China to continue with economic engagements...
"Geography has placed us together and rather than shouting at China as our enemy we should develop pleasant relations and at the same time make ourselves strong to tackle any emergencies."
"Northeastern states are a critical part of the future growth, development and strategic positioning of India," an official release quoting him said, adding that eight countries were within 1000 km of northeast, which constituted 24.6 per cent of the world population and one of the largest economies.
Noting that the region had to graduate from a transit route to a driver of economic growth, he said the region needed to handle the challenge of isolation, which was affecting cost of imports and exports and integration with the rest of India.
Sharma underlined the need for better transportation and communication infrastructure, wealth creation through industrial development, tourism, managing immigration besides harnessing the economic potential and balanced exploitation of the rich bio diversity.
"New scientific methods and technologies must be made available to the agrarian community," he said.
Stressing on empowerment of the people of the region through inclusive governance, he said "It will also instill a sense of social accountability."
PTI
