STAFF REPORTER
GUWAHATI: With the resolution of the five-decade-long border dispute between Assam and Arunachal Pradesh, Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma is now keen to settle the border dispute with Nagaland amicably. Chief Minister Sarma held talks with Nagaland Chief Minister Neiphiu Rio in New Delhi on Thursday after the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to resolve all border issues was signed between Assam and Arunachal Pradesh.
Both Chief Ministers held a one-to-one discussion at Assam House in New Delhi on Thursday evening to resolve the long-standing border row between the two neighbouring states. They also discussed issues of mutual interests and collaboration on oil exploration along the inter-state border.
Chief Minister Sarma said, “I am happy to have got an opportunity to spend time with the Chief Minister of Nagaland, Neiphiu Rio at Assam House, New Delhi. We had an engaging discussion on bringing a closure to the ongoing boundary issue and other areas of mutual gains and collaboration.”
Talking to media persons, Chief Minister Rio said that he had a fruitful discussion with his Assam counterpart on settlement of the border dispute out of the court with support and cooperation of ethnic groups from both sides. “We discussed our border issue and development issues. We have to work together, support one another and move forward. Assam and Arunachal Pradesh signed an agreement on border dispute. Likewise, we are also discussing how we should settle our border dispute outside the court with the support of ethnic groups from both sides,” said Rio.
He further said that both states had in-principle decided to go in for a MoU on oil exploration in the disputed areas along the inter-state boundary so that oil can be extracted and royalties shared between the neighbouring states. “Once it is formalized, there is huge potential for exploration of oil inside Nagaland also and to move forward as the country needs oil in a big way,” he added.
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