GUWAHATI: The Chief Minister of Nagaland, Neiphiu Rio, met his Assam counterpart, Himanta Biswa Sarma, at the latter’s office in Guwahati on Monday.
The leaders engaged in discussions aimed at “synergising efforts” to expedite development in the Northeast.
Chief Minister Sarma expressed his satisfaction with the productive discussion, stating on a micro-blogging website, “Delighted to engage in a productive discussion with the Hon’ble Chief Minister of Nagaland, Shri Neiphiu Rio Ji, during his visit to my office today. Our conversation centered around synergizing efforts to expedite development in the Northeast.”
Notably, this marks the second meeting between the two leaders in the past 20 days.
On January 17, Chief Minister Sarma had visited Dimapur for discussions with Chief Minister Rio, indicating a commitment to ongoing dialogues.
The interstate border issue, a longstanding point of contention between Nagaland and Assam, has been a focus of recent discussions.
In December 2023, Chief Ministers Rio and Sarma met Union Home Minister Amit Shah in Delhi to address the matter.
The leaders had presented their views on the border issue during the meeting with Minister of Cooperation Shah.
Tensions between the states had arisen sporadically over the past few years.
However, in June 2021, the chief secretaries of Nagaland and Assam signed an agreement to de-escalate the border stand-off.
The agreement included provisions for monitoring disputed border areas with unmanned aerial vehicles (UAV) and satellite imagery to maintain status quo.
In a significant move, the Nagaland Legislative Assembly (NLA) unanimously adopted a three-point resolution in July after thorough deliberation on the Nagaland-Assam border issue.
One resolution highlighted the amicable settlement of the border issue outside the court by the two state governments.
Additionally, the NLA constituted a committee to examine all aspects of the Assam-Nagaland border issue, indicating a diplomatic approach to resolving the long-pending matter.
As both Chief Ministers continue their dialogue on regional development and border resolution, hopes are high for a sustained effort to address the historical challenges and foster cooperation between Nagaland and Assam.
