Kolkata-Bangkok Highway: A Game-Changer for ICC & BIMSTEC Regions

At a business conclave organised by Indian Chamber of Commerce (ICC) and the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) on Tuesday, the commerce ministers of the BIMSTEC (the Bay of Bengal Initiative for Multi-Sectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation) project countries and provinces said that the trilateral highway connecting Bangkok with Kolkata could be finished in the next three to four years. This highway, which is proposed to go through cities like Sukhothai, Mae Sot in Thailand, Yangon, Mandalay, Kalewa, Tamu in Myanmar, Moreh, Kohima, Guwahati, Srirampur, and Siliguri to Kolkata, would span a total distance of 2,800 km, with the longest stretch in India. The Thai Vice Minister of Foreign Affairs Vijavat Isarabhakdi said that the Thailand portion of the highway has already been completed,…