Nagaland ready to welcome G20 delegates, hopes to generate investment opportunities: Chief Secretary

INTERNATIONAL DESK: Nagaland is set to host one of its biggest events, for the G20 Summit 2023, at Kohima on April 5, informed the state’s Chief Secretary J Alam.

The Chief Secretary said India’s year-long presidency of G20 from December 2022 was a matter of great honour for the country and Nagaland, like other host states, was also actively participating in G20 events.

He said in the G20 calendar, meetings are to take place all around the year in about 33 cities, with the most scheduled to be held in Kohima.

“Nagaland will host a business meeting, which will feature representatives of the G20 countries, on April 5, 2023. We are fully prepared to host the summit event,” he said.

“We are very excited to host the G20 event. We are started preparing for a grand welcome of the G20 delegates who will participate in the summit meeting in Nagaland,” he said.

He said the state was expecting to play host to about 110 delegates, of which about 100 will be from 28 G20 countries and the remaining from international organisations that are part of the grouping, the chief secretary said, adding that the delegates will arrive on special flights on April 4, and thereafter attend the main events on April 5.

Informing that there will be business meetings and cultural programs that will showcase the strengths of Nagaland at the summit events, he said, “The focus of the meetings would be mostly on agri, allied and food processing industry, as well as tourism development of the state. We hope that through these events, the state would be able to create investment opportunities.

On whether there were any big names expected at the summit, the chief secretary informed that they have not received the list of names so far, as it is yet to be shared by the G20 Secretariat, in Delhi.

However, some of the business delegates will be from big continental corporations, ambassadors and other senior representatives of their respective countries.

He informed further that on the arrival of the delegates on April 4, they will be accorded a formal welcome at the Capital Cultural Hall, Kohima and on April 5, business meetings will be held in the State Banquet Hall followed by cultural evening and dinner at Kisama heritage complex where the State intends to showcase its signature Hornbill Festival in honour of the guests.

Further, he said that the infrastructure, especially at the airport, as well as roads and venues, were being spruced up and preparation was underway to give the delegates a grand welcome. (ANI)