Scenic Visakhapatnam, Araku coffee floor foreign delegates

VISAKHAPATNAM: Apart from the major pacts they have signed with the Andhra Pradesh government during the three-day CII Partnership Summit that concluded on Monday,  the delegates, trade ministers from foreign countries appear to have forged a strong bond with the beauty of the ‘City of Destiny’ as they say they would carry a memory back home to cherish for ever.

After the hectic schedules of the signing of MoUs, plenary and brain-storming sessions, the delegates on Monday chose to visit the pristine beaches and heritage sites of Visakhapatnam only to get awestruck. Some of the delegates are leant to have decided to spend a few days more and tour the entire coastal stretch in Vizag.  

For Leena Heelia, a delegate from the USA and a member of the blockchain technology team, it was her first visit to Vizag. “The support extended by the Andhra Pradesh government for the implementation of blockchain technology is impressive. I just got hooked to the magnificence of Vizag. My team has decided to stay for a day more and visit this beautiful city,” she said.  

A number of delegates visited the city beaches and a few other tourist spots on the second day of the summit. The stalls put up by the Girijan Cooperative Corporation (GCC) with Araku coffee, the one with Lepakshi handicrafts at the summit venue were seen thronged by the delegates all the three days of the programme. The GCC  representatives at the stall said there was a 25 per cent increase in the sale of Araku coffee this time when compared to last year.