Highlighting India-Japan ties which are “Rooted in history and based on Common Values”, India’s Foreign Secretary Harsh Shringla has said both countries are working together to “Construct Resilient and Reliable value chains in a post-pandemic world.”
The statement comes even as New Delhi and Tokyo have come closer amid an increasingly aggressive China. Japan is the fourth largest investor in India and around 1400 Japanese companies are present in India.
Speaking at an event on Indo-Japan Collaboration in India’s northeast, the foreign secretary said, “It is a valuable partner for us in our efforts to navigate the vagaries of the post-pandemic international system and in generating new opportunities for the cooperative endeavour in all areas of India including the northeast.”
Japan is involved in a number of connectivity projects in India’s northeast. It is involved in four road connectivity projects in part of India, the longest bridge in the country across the Brahmaputra in Dhubri in Assam is being constructed with Japanese support. The country is also helping India modernise the Umiam-Umtru Hydroelectric Power Station in Meghalaya and Guwahati Water Supply and Guwahati Sewerage Project.
The Japanese envoy Satoshi Suzuki was also present at the virtual event and said, “On the ground, Japan has been actively promoting connectivity both within the northeast region and with the neighbouring countries”, adding, “Our national highways projects, be it in Assam, Meghalaya, Mizoram or Tripura, will be extended to the border of Bangladesh. Japan and India have been working road connection improvement projects in Bangladesh as well”.
In 2017, Prime Minister Modi and Japanese Prime Minister Abe established the India-Japan Act East Forum to coordinate joint efforts for the overall development of the region. The key aim of the forum is to enhance connectivity between India’s North East Region and South East Asia and Bangladesh.
