New Delhi: External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj on Thursday hailed Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik for the initiatives of his government and creating industry friendly ecosystem.
Her remarks came here at an "Ambassador Meet" attended among others by Patnaik and Ambassadors and High Commissioners from over 25 countries, including Australia, Canada, France, Russia, Taiwan, Malaysia, Norway, Spain, Italy, the UAE and Saudi Arabia.
Addressing the envoys at the meet, Sushma Swaraj lauded the initiatives of the state government and appreciated the industry friendly ecosystem available in Odisha.
She threw light on the abundance of natural resources and availability of skilled labour.
"It is a matter of pride that in the challenge for Smart Cities, Bhubaneswar emerged at the top," she said.
Speaking on the sidelines of the meet, Patnaik said: "We held very productive discussions with the envoys. We look forward to strengthening our trade and business relationship with various countries and emerge as the manufacturing hub of the East."
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The state delegation presented competitive advantages of Odisha as a manufacturing destination and shared information about more than 200 'ready-to-invest' projects in the state in diverse sectors and areas including industrial parks, textiles, healthcare, manufacturing, food processing, urban infrastructure, petrochemicals, tourism and downstream industries.