SRIMANTPUR, Jan.7 (TIWN): With construction of bridge over river Feni and opening up of the Chittagong Port of Bangladesh, Tripura will not only be India's gateway to South-East Asia but also corridor for the Northeast India, Union Minister of State for Industries and Commerce Nirmala Sitharaman said on Wednesday.

After constructing the bridge over river Feni our connectivity with Chittagong will be established and it works as if shipment among the Northeast states through Tripura . For Northeast Tripura will be the gateway.

"If Tripura becomes the gateway for the north-eastern state then it will not be far that for the 12 Southeast Asian nations - Myanmar, Thailand, Malaysia, Singapore, Vietnam, Laos and till far up to Cambodia, to develop economic relation further through the Chittagong port and via Tripura for the Northeaster state to establish business connectivity."- said Sitharaman

Sitharaman stressed on not only opening up of Chittagong sea port but also establishing pre-partition river linkage via Tripura's Gomuti with Meghna in Bangladesh since Tripura being a landlocked state here connecting by land is tough.

The Union Minister said that Prime Minister Narendra Modi has accorded the highest importance to improve relations with the neighboring countries .