India-Japan Act East Forum Meet
The 5th joint meeting of the India-Japan Act East Forum was held between India and Japan on January 28 in New Delhi.
Key Points
- The fifth India-Japan Act East Forum joint meeting was held in New Delhi.
- The meeting was co-chaired by Ambassador of Japan to India Suzuki Satoshi and Foreign Secretary Harsh Vardhan Shringla.
- The Forum meeting reviewed the progress of various ongoing projects in the North Eastern Region of India in different areas like hydropower, connectivity, sustainable development, skill development, and harnessing of water resources.
- Discussions were also done on various ongoing projects under India-Japan bilateral cooperation.
- Both the countries exchanged views on cooperation in new areas like agro-industries and SMEs, healthcare, bamboo value chain development, tourism, smart city, and people-to-people exchanges.
- Both the co-chairs also appreciated the role played by the Act East Forum.
Act East Forum
Act East Forum was established in the year 2017. The agreement was establishing the forum was signed in September 2017 during the visit of Prime Minister Abe to India. Act East Forum provides a platform for Japan’s vision for a “Free and Open Indo-Pacific” and India-Japan collaboration in the North Eastern Region under India’s “Act East Policy”. The Forum also identifies specific projects for economic modernization of India’s North-East region including those related to developmental infrastructure, connectivity, culture, industrial linkages, and sports-related activities.