Several Ambassadors, High Commissioners, and senior diplomats from eight countries will participate in the one-day conference on ‘Trade and investment — exploring new opportunities' at Hotel Gateway on Saturday.
The conference is being hosted by the Confederation of Indian Industries in association with the Andhra Pradesh government to showcase Visakhapatnam as a destination for investment in industry, infrastructure, and tourism. Those who confirmed their participation include Dato Paduka Haji Sidek Ali, High Commissioner, Brunei, Muthafa Yusof, Minister Counsellor (Economic Affairs), Malaysia, Nguyen Thanh Tan, Ambassador, Vietnam, Guna Seelan Balakrishnan, Second Secretary (Economic Affairs), Malaysia, Pisan Manawapat, Ambassador of Thailand, Chanchai Charnavatnakit, Consul-General, Royal Thai Consulate, Thailand, Vichael Angelo D. Roaring, Commercial Attache, Philippines, Hun Han, First Secretary, Cambodia, Chan Kah Mei, First Secretary (Economics), Singapore, Pimpha Keomixay, Deputy Chief of Mission, Laos, and Sasirit Tangulrat, Minister-Counsellor, Royal Thai Embassy, Thailand.
Union Minister of State for Human Resource Development D. Purandeswari will inaugurate the conference. Minister for Investment and Infrastructure, Government of Andhra Pradesh, Ganta Srinivasa Rao, Industries Principal Secretary T.S. Appa Rao, and RINL Chairman-cum-Managing Director A.P. Choudhary will speak.
RINL Director (commercial) and CII zonal chairman T.K. Chand said on Thursday that the high-level delegation from ASEAN countries would visit key industrial establishments such as Visakhapatnam Steel Plant, Visakhapatnam Port Trust, and the Special Economic Zone.
They will also have a glimpse of tourist potential of Visakhapatnam.
One-to-one interaction
CII will organise a one-to-one interaction of top entrepreneurs with the ASEAN delegation to explore the possibility of collaboration and investment.
The conference is expected to bring together corporate bodies, entrepreneurs, representatives from India, Indonesia, Malaysia, Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, Brunei, Myanmar, Cambodia, Laos, and Vietnam.
The objectives are essentially two-way dissemination of information — among the local industry on business opportunities in the ASEAN region and among the ASEAN representatives on sectors of strength of the local industry — as well as to explore possibilities of collaboration and investment. The programme includes a session on investment opportunities in Visakhapatnam in different sectors. An exclusive session with the ASEAN delegation showcasing their countries' investment opportunities and one-to-one meeting between delegates and representatives of the ASEAN group on their business opportunities will be highlights.
