Top 10 reasons for establishing a sister-state relationship between Washington State and Orissa

1. Orissa's more than 300 miles of coastal line with history of maritime heritage:  With the presence of 14 ports, many pristine beaches and 6 Special Economic Regions of the country being developed by the Government of India, it is a perfect set up for both the states to establish a sea-trade link through their ports. As a matter of fact in ancient times Sadhabas, a trading communities of Orissa had been credited with taking voyages from Orissa ports to the South East Asian nations of Cambodia, Malaya Peninsula, Sumatra, Java, Bali, Burma and Thai kingdoms. The Chinese pilgrims Fa-Hien and Hiuen Tsang visited Orissa in 639 AD.

2. Rich Cultural Heritage: One of the seven classical dances of India, Odissi originated from here and has been in its traditional form since sixth century BC. In the excavated ruins of the Buddhist Ratnagiri Hills in Orissa dating back to the 6th-9th centuries, several icons and panels of dance are found resembling the present day Odissi dance.In the capital city of Bhubaneswar, there exists Jain Caves which date back to 2nd century BC whch served as royal palace for KIng Kharavela. Contemporary Orissa has a proud cultural heritage that arose due to intermingling of three great religious traditions- Hinduism, Buddhism and Jainism. The culture of Adivasis (the original habitants of India) is an integral part of modern Odia heritage. Almost every tribal group has their own music and unique dance style.

3. Abundance of natural resources: Orissa is a treasure island as far as its wealth in natural resources are concerned. It contains one fifth of India's Coal, one third of its Bauxite, one fourth of its Iron and most of its Chromite.

4. Investment Opportunities: In the year 2009 Orissa was second top domestic investment destination after Gujarat. Its share was 12.6 percent in total investments in the country and most of its were on Steel and Power. The Central Government has agreed to accord SEZ (Special Economic Zones) status to eight sites in Orissa including Bhubaneswar, the capital city.

5. First State to have Surplus Electricity: Orissa was the first state in India to begin to privatize its electricity transmission and distribution business and achieved surplus in electricity.

6. Political Stabilty and Leadership: Orissa has a progressive leader in its Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik. Elected in May 2009 with a massive public mandate for his third consecutive term as chief minister for the next five years, Orissa has the political stability, much needed for a sustainable bilateral trade relationship. Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik has also authored three books: A Second Paradise: Indian Country Life 1590-1947; A Desert Kingdom: The people of Bikaner; and Garden of Life: An introduction to Healing Plants of India

7. Supportive Education System: Existance of six universities, one agricultural university, three managemnet institutions, more than twenty four technical and engineering institutions, three medical colleges in the capital city of Bhubaneswar alone opens up great opportunities for Washington State universities and colleges to affiliate and collaboarte.

8. Galore of Opportunities: in the area of infrastructure development - tourism, sea ports, air ports; clean energy; health care, agriculture and education.

9. Low Cost of Living: Orissa is one of the states in India where the cost of living is at its lowest level.  It attributes to low cost in operation for establishing a liaison office even though it is well connected with the rest of India.

10. One of the Tier-2 Cities: The Indian Government is focusing in developing infrastructure in many Tier-2 cities with a population of around one million, reducing the cost of support infrastructure such as buildings, drainage, electricity and water etc. benefiting many Foreign Direct Investors (FDIs) and Business Process Outsourcing (BPOs). The capital city of Bhubaneswar is one if these Tier-2 cities.

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