Foreign Secretary Shri Harsh Vardhan Shringla has been invited by the Sikkim University to take part in the Fourth Global Lecture. Now, he is on a two-day visit to Sikkim. His topic of address is on ‘Locating Northeast Region in India’s Foreign Policy’. The event is being organized by the Department of International Relations of the Sikkim University in association with the Ministry of External Affairs. Shri Harsh Vardhan Shringla’s current visit to Sikkim will provide an opportunity to witness the state’s economic progress while discussing various programmes and initiatives of the Ministry of External Affairs with the leadership and senior officials of the state.
By virtue of sharing direct international borders with China, Nepal and Bhutan and located in the close proximity of the strategic Siliguri Corridor adjacent to Bangladesh, Sikkim remains one of the most important focal points of India’s Act East Policy. The Government of India’s emphasis on development of the North-Eastern region by harnessing the local resources puts Sikkim in a favourable position to accelerate itself to a higher growth trajectory.
Already, Sikkim has become a popular tourist destination in India. The policy initiative of the state government has attracted significant investment in the education sector and as a result Sikkim has become a major education hub in the region attracting students, including from the neighbouring countries. Sikkim’s status as the world’s first 100% organic state as declared by UN Food and Agriculture Organisation in August 2019 further opens up new investment and export opportunities in the horticulture and medicinal plants sector of the state. Ministry of External Affairs has been closely working with the state government of Sikkim in all these areas.
