Research and Information System for Developing Countries (RIS) and Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FICCI) jointly organized a Seminar on “Heart of Asia and Connectivity” in Amritsar on 3^rd December, 2016 on the eve of the 6^th Ministerial Conference of Heart of Asia - Istanbul Process on Afghanistan on 4^th December, 2016.

Prof. Sachin Chaturvedi, Director General, RIS and Shri Gautam Ghosh, Director, FICCI and Shri Manpreet Vohra, Ambassador of India to Afghanistan spoke at the inaugural session. The participants dwelled on various aspects of the situation in Afghanistan and the region under the sessions on “Connectivity of ideas and borders as bridges”, “Multimodal transport connectivity and transit”, “Trade and investment connectivity” and “Economic and development cooperation”.

Experts and scholars from Heart of Asia countries participated in the Seminar. From Kazakhstan, Dr. Ashkat Kessikbayev, Permanent Secretary, International Turkic Academy, Nur-Sultan and Dr. Laura Yerekesheva, Deputy Director, Institute of Oriental Studies, Almaty participated in the Seminar.