The two-day North Eastern Council (NEC) plenary has approved the Vision 2020 to restore the NE region to a position of national economic eminence by the next eight to ten years. After hectic discussion among member States of the NEC in the two-day plenary that commenced here on Monday, DoNER Minister Mani Shankar Aiyer, all Governors and Chief Ministers of the region states signed the Vision-2020 document on Tuesday. The Vision Document that was prepared by a Delhi based firm based on an intensive survey carried out in the entire NE states has addressed core issues related to the overall development of the country's most backward and strategic region. The purpose of the Vision Document is to return the North-East region to the position of national economic eminence it held a few decades ago, said the DoNER Minister at a press conference after signing ceremony of Vision 2020. He said that after the partition of India in the year 1947 the transit facilities to physically link all but 29 km of NE to the rest of the country has severely limited the economic prospects of the region. According to the Vision Document, the priority sector must be agriculture sector in view of the region's dependence on the agro and allied fields. As per vision statement made available here, the NEC sectoral summits have identified some areas where emphasis should be given. Diplomatic initiatives of the kind envisaged by the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) based on new inputs and seamlessly blending foreign policy with national development requirements are urgently required for resolving outstanding issues with countries neighbouring the North-East, it said adding a branch secretariat of MEA is to be established in the region as soon as possible. "Relation with Bangladeshis is important to ensure overall development of the North Eastern region and I hope the neighbouring country will opt for maintaining better relation', Aiyar said. "There is an urgent need of redefining of the Look East Policy to resolve outstanding issues of trade, transit and investment with the countries neighbouring the region. It also involves promoting Indian investment in infrastructure in partner countries, especially Myanmar, particularly in respect of ports such as Sittwe and international highways to connect the NE region to ASEAN', he said. Terming the signing of vision document as historic event, Aiyar said that with the coming up of the document, the NEC can perform as statutory regional planning board. "Approximately Rs. 13 lakh is required in the next eight to ten years to implement the Vision 2020 for overall development of NE region. At the same time, there should be a clear idea whether the NE states can absorb the huge amount require for the Vision Document', he said.