Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh said Friday his country will try for connectivity to the larger Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) and in particular strengthen her relations with its neighbor Myanmar in all respects.

Inaugurating the platinum jubilee celebration of India's northeastern state of Assam's legislative assembly in Guwahati, state capital, Singh said that during his visit to Myanmar next month, he will discuss with the Myanmar government on how the two countries can increase opportunities for expansion of trade, economic cooperation and connectivity to the larger ASEAN region.

He said Assam and other north-eastern states of India should play a more pro-active role in India's efforts to look eastwards and he would take up boosting trade relations with neighboring Bangladesh, with which he said Indian has made efforts to boost border trade already.

"I would like to see Assam emerge as a new engine of growth for the northeastern region and the country as a whole in the 12th Plan period. I am confident that in the 12th Plan Assam will be able to record a rate of growth of over 9 percent," said the prime minister.

The central government would provide all possible help for Assam's economic development, he added.

Mentioning the Assam gas cracker project and the 750 MW thermal power project at Bongaigaon in the eastern part of the state, Singh said completion of these projects will boost the economic growth of the state.