The Foreign Secretary was here to attend the two day International conference on India and her neighbours: Reverting relation with Nepal, Bangladesh, Bhutan, Myanmar, Sri Lanka and Maldives’ at the Manipur University here.

“We are going to open four more border trade centres,” said Mathai when sought his comment in connection with the present conditions of the trade centres in NE. “The issue here is the infrastructure. We need to develop it”, he observed.

“I hope that the road condition will improve as we have plans to upgrade the road within Myanmar and I think within three to five years time we will develop better connectivity with Myanmar and also with other South Asian countries,” the visiting Foreign Secretary added.

He also expressed the ongoing two day International conference will certainly help the neighbouring countries in developing the quality of life in their respective countries.

Consulate General Kyaw Swe Tint and Director General Training Research and Foreign Language Daw Yin Yin Myint of Myanmar, Consulate General Dasho Tsering Wandga of Bhutan, Nepalese Consulate General Chandrakumar Ghimire and MLA DK Korungtahang also spoke in the day’s technical session.

Earlier, Mathai along with Manipur Commerce and Industry Minister K Gobindas Konthoujam, Education Minister Moirangthem Okendra, VC of Manipur University Prof H Nandakumar Sarma and others attended the inaugural session of the conference.