Pranab to sell Look East policy in North-East

New Delhi, June 15 (UNI) For the first time since the announcement of the Look East policy in the early 1990s to strengthen India's ties with the South East Asian nations, the External Affairs Ministry will launch tomorrow a public diplomacy drive on the policy in the Northeastern region.

External Affairs Minister Pranab Mukherjee will go to Shillong tomorrow to deliver an address on ''The Look-East Policy: Geography as Opportunity.'' This will be an interactive session and it will be followed by a press conference.

Speaking on the Look-East policy, the Minister will be underlining the geographical contiguity of the North-East particularly with the ASEAN countries.

''This in fact is part of the MEA's public diplomacy drive which we have felt has been made necessary by the changes that are taking place in the world in terms of the more direct impact of foreign policy matters on the people of countries, people of particular regions; and the importance of the geographical context of a particular region,'' foreign office spokesman Navtej Sarna told reporters.

It is quite obvious that the Look-East policy and its spinoffs would have a direct impact and could bring significant benefits to the people of the North-East, he said.

The Minister's day-long visit is to create a greater sense of awareness and participation in the initiative and also to get inputs from the various regions concerned which can then go into policy-making.

''So, it is with this rationale that the External Affairs Minister will be speaking in Shillong in collaboration with ICRIER and the Omeo Kumardas Institute of Social Change and Development. As other such conferences are organized, we would keep you informed,'' Mr Sarna said.

UNI