Shillong: European Union Ambassador to India Jean Eric Paquet is touring Meghalaya to scout opportunities for growth. He joined a panel at Asian Confluence on Friday night. The discussion featured State Commissioner Dr. D. Vijay Kumar and editor Patricia Mukhim. The team arrived during the EU Film Festival, which runs from November 12 to 18 across three Shillong colleges.
Dr. Kumar pushed for help with food processing. He noted the state produces world-class turmeric and seeks to extract oil, which fetches a far higher price than raw powder. Ri-Bhoi pineapples currently head to Switzerland for baby food. Kumar also touted the state's organic farming efforts, covering a quarter of four lakh hectares of agricultural land.
Talks pivoted to education and technology. Paquet encouraged Indian students to consider EU schools for science and engineering degrees. While the EU offers no direct scholarships, Dr. Kumar suggested the state government could help fund local students. On the topic of technology, Mukhim questioned the use of AI in filmmaking. Paquet warned that reliance on algorithms hurts critical thinking. He said EU nations are enforcing strict rules and demanding disclosures for AI content.
Discussions also covered mining and trade. Paquet said the EU maintains strict standards against ecological destruction from mining. He urged India to pursue a pending Free Trade Agreement. Regarding the state's culture, Dr. Kumar highlighted the Shillong Literature Festival at Ward’s Lake. "It is true that the Government is the chief organiser of this programme with an eye to exposing our youth to well-known award winning writers like New York based Kiran Desai and South African writer Damon Galgut both of whom have won the Booker Prize are here to interact with local writers and aspiring student writers," Kumar said. Paquet, a trekker, is visiting Meghalaya as his first stop in the northeast.
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