Japan has announced three concrete commitments for the development of Northeast India.
Speaking at the Asian Confluence's Sixth India Japan Intellectual Conclave in Shillong on February 27, Japan's State Minister for Foreign Affairs Horii Iwao said Tokyo remains firmly committed to the region's growth.
The two-day conclave, titled 'KIZUNA', brought together policymakers, diplomats, and industry leaders from India and Japan.
Horii said he decided to visit Shillong despite a tight schedule to personally convey Japan's plans. "I must also confess that I was personally eager to see with my own eyes this land full of potential," he said.
Focus on connectivity and Indo-Pacific vision
Horii said Japan will support connectivity linking Northeast India to the Bay of Bengal and the Indian Ocean.
"First, Japan will support connectivity linking Northeast India to the Bay of Bengal and the Indian Ocean," he said.
He described the region as being in a "pivotal geopolitical position as a gateway to Southeast Asia." He said Japan will work towards an "Industrial Value Chain" connecting the Bay of Bengal and Northeast India under its "Free and Open Indo-Pacific (FOIP)" initiative.
He added that through Japan-India cooperation in infrastructure, including roads and railways, "we will connect Northeast India to the sea and promote development of the region as a whole."
He also said the region is where India's 'Act East' policy and Japan's Indo-Pacific vision are put into practice.
Focus on semiconductors, clean energy
Horii said Japan will support private-sector cooperation in economic security sectors. When News Ei Samay tossed a question to the Japanese State Minister for Foreign Affairs about how Japan plans to help NorthEast India's private sectors, he replied, "Second, the Government of Japan will support private-sector cooperation in the field of economic security, including semiconductors and clean energy."
Referring to the semiconductor back-end processing facility under construction in Jagiroad, he said Japanese companies' involvement will be "indispensable in both production and logistics." He also mentioned a 60 billion yen investment in bamboo-based biofuel production.
On people-to-people exchanges, he said Japan is paying attention to the talented human resources of the Northeast. A mutually complementary circulation of professionals between the two countries, he said, would be a "win-win for both countries."
Calling it his first visit to the region, Horii said he felt a strong sense of affinity and saw "considerable untapped potential" to deepen Japan-Northeast India ties.
