Guwahati, March 7: The Assam government will soon set up trade offices of the neighbouring countries here. Chief minister Tarun Gogoi said this during an interaction with the foreign participants today ? the concluding day of the 11th International Guwahati Trade Fair at the Judges Field.
?We want to develop trade ties with the South East Asian countries. This will help promote trade and commerce and develop contacts with the traders of these countries,? Gogoi said.
After a t?te-?-t?te with them, the chief minister, accompanied by his wife, went on a whirlwind tour of all the foreign stalls. Products from six different countries ? Pakistan, Iran, Bangladesh, Thailand, Vietnam and Nepal ? were showcased at exclusive pavilions.
?The common perception that the Northeast as trouble-torn has been shattered. We want Guwahati to be the hub of activities of South East Asian countries. There are very good prospects of encouraging trade and commerce with the neighbouring countries,?Gogoi said.
A. Toumassi, a businessman from Tehran ? who is heading an eight-member Iranian trade group to the fair ? said the Guwahati Trade Fair was one of the ?best we attend every year in India?.
The Iranian stall had melamine, carpets, glassware, chandeliers and dry fruits. ?This was our third visit to Guwahati and it was as good as the previous occasions. The people are very nice, warm and friendly,? he added.
Echoing his views, Anup Kumar Saha of the Export Promotion Board of Bangladesh said, ?We are open to ideas of expanding trade on a comparative advantage basis with these countries.?
The chief minister also gave away certificates to various participants. The award for the best display of stall went to Samsung, followed by Hero Motors and Nestle.
The award for the best decorated stall went to LG Electronics, followed by Usha International, Godrej and Boyce. The most crowd-pulling stall award went to Bajaj, Whirlpool and TVS Motors. The most innovative stall award went to Philips India, Delhi Public School and Yamaha.
The most aesthetic stall was awarded to the National Centre for Jute Diversification, followed by Tata Motors and Electrolux. The Directorate of Industries and Commerce was also felicitated for their active support in organising the fair. Some of the top brands of the country participated in the fortnight long affair.