Taiwan Keen To Import Orissa Seafood.

Taiwan is keen to import seafood from Orissa and invest in electronics goods manufacturing, food processing and textiles in the state, Taiwan's ambassador to India, Wenchyi Ong, said here on Tuesday.

Talking to reporters, Ong said Taiwan imports seafood worth US $ 500 million annually and the country will explore Orissa's export potential. "We will be interested in investing in cold storage, refrigeration and seafood processing to increase the export potential," Ong said.

The Taiwanese delegation met representatives of Orissa Seafood Export Association later in the evening. Ong is scheduled to meet chief minister Naveen Patnaik on Wednesday.

Leading the first ever official delegation from Taiwan to Orissa, Ong said they have come with an open mind and would invest in areas of mutual interest. "We will examine and understand the investment potential. We can invest in electronics goods manufacturing, food processing and textiles," he said.

The best part of the investment is job creation. "It would be far more than the size of investment," he said.

Ong, who visited KIIT University and delivered a talk on Development and Prospect of India-Taiwan Relations, said Taiwan will also look for tie-ups in education.

"We are looking for student exchange programmes and offer scholarships to students for studying in Taiwan. We are also known for our vocational education," he said.

Ong said Orissa's religious tourism will be a big attraction for Taiwanese, who are mainly Buddhists. "Over 30,000 tourists from my country came to India last year. Majority of them went to Bihar to visit Bodh Gaya. Orissa has several Buddhist monuments. These could attract Taiwanese tourists," he said. Taiwan's total investment in India will be around US$ 1billion.

Source : timesofindia.indiatimes.com