Bhubaneswar, Dec 2 (PTI) Union minister Dharmendra Pradhan Saturday said that given the right opportunity, Odisha and Eastern India have the potential to make the country developed and create global benchmarks in the coming days.

Pradhan, said this while addressing the two-day International Conference on 'Purvodaya Prospective: Reflection on Regional Connectivity' organised by the Ministry of External Affairs and the Confederation of Indian Industry and Energy Forum India.

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Pradhan said while Prime Minister Narendra Modi is emphasising the need for overall development of East India, this conference is a part of our collective efforts towards the goal and prosperity of the region.

"Odisha has been the biggest beneficiary of Eastern Mission. The visionary leadership and vision of the Prime Minister are creating new opportunities for mission advancement. With natural resources, talented human capital and geographical location, Eastern India and Odisha will lead the growth of developed India in the coming days," Pradhan said.

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The Union Minister said that out of the 800 crore population of the world, about 10 crore people live in the "Eastern" region which is Eastern and North Eastern states.

The culture of our neighbouring countries Nepal, Bhutan, Myanmar and Bangladesh is almost the same. The potential of this region is even greater than the Himalayas, he said adding that there is no shortage of skills in these states including Odisha.

The region is rich in natural resources and is inhabited by hardworking human resources.

The Union Minister said the people present at the grand event should create a roadmap that will lead towards a brighter and more developed India.

Minister of State for External Affairs and Parliamentary Affairs V Muralidharan said that the conference will be a significant milestone in the development of the Eastern and North Eastern regions.

It will help to increase the closeness between India and the countries of East Asia, especially in areas like communication, maritime trade and economy, it will play an important role and help in preparing the roadmap.

(The above story is verified and authored by Press Trust of India (PTI) staff. PTI, India’s premier news agency, employs more than 400 journalists and 500 stringers to cover almost every district and small town in India.. The views appearing in the above post do not reflect the opinions of LatestLY)