5th Joint Meeting of the India-Japan Act East Forum

Foreign Secretary Shri Harsh Vardhan Shringla and Ambassador of Japan to India Suzuki Satoshi co-chaired the fifth meeting of the India-Japan Act East Forum (AEF) in New Delhi. An overview of ongoing projects in the North Eastern Region of India was reviewed by the AEF at its 5th meeting. Some of the topics included connectivity, hydropower, sustainable development, and utilizing water resources. Among the topics discussed were health, agriculture, SMEs, smart cities, tourism, and intercultural exchanges. Projects for possible future cooperation were also discussed. In this article, we will focus on some of the key points addressed in the 5th joint meeting of the India-Japan Act East Forum.

History of India-Japan Act East Forum

We will begin by looking at the history of the India-Japan Act East Forum. In 2017, the Act East Forum was created. In September 2017, Prime Minister Abe visited India and signed an agreement to create the forum. The purpose of this platform is to promote cooperation between India and Japan in the North Eastern Region as part of India’s “Act East Policy”. Through the India-Japan Act East Forum, India is advancing its Act East Policy and Japan is advancing its vision for a ‘Free and Open Indo-Pacific’.

5th Joint Meeting of The India-Act East Forum

As part of the Act East Forum (AEF) , India and Japan discussed several infrastructure projects being carried out with assistance from Tokyo. During the meeting, the two countries discussed a variety of topics such as road connectivity, health (including water and sanitation), and forest conservation. They also discussed people-to-people exchanges for future collaborations.

In a statement from the Japanese embassy, it was mentioned that “Japan attaches high priority to the development of India’s North East, which is rooted in its long history, friendship, and trust.” Furthermore, Tokyo expressed its pride in having been a partner with the people of the North East in their aim to build a better future for the region.

According to FS Shringla, during the meeting “the forum has proven to be highly useful in facilitation and coordination of connectivity and development projects. All stakeholders are participating constructively in meeting the forum’s objectives as set by our leaders.”

During the meeting, India promoted the Smart City project in Kohima, the Joint Input Technology project in Nagarbera, and three healthcare projects — the construction of a 4000-bed teaching hospital in Kohima, the creation of a super-speciality cancer research centre in Mizoram, and the development of a program to improve medical education in Assam.

During the next India-Japan annual summit at the level of prime ministers, both sides will work on finalising the India-Japan initiative for sustainable development of northeastern India.  The Japanese government provides over Rs 1600 crore in official development assistance to the northeast region of India. Several of these projects have been implemented in seven states throughout the northeast – Assam, Meghalaya, Tripura, Manipur, Mizoram, and Nagaland. A sewerage project was proposed in Guwahati and a district road project was proposed in Sikkim.

Launch of the India-Japan Act East Forum

The first joint meeting of the Act East Forum was held on 5th December 2017 at the Ministry of External Affairs and the Embassy of Japan following The memorandum of cooperation to establish the India-Japan Act East Forum signed during the visit of Prime Minister Abe to India on 14th September 2017.

Among the participants were representatives from the Ministry of External Affairs and the Embassy of Japan, state governments from the North-East region of India, the Department of Economic Affairs in the Ministry of Finance, the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways, and the Ministry of Home Affairs. The Japanese government has the Japan External Trade Organisation, Japan Foundation, Japan National Tourism Organisation and Japan International Cooperation Agency.

Act East Policy

Myanmar hosted the East Asia Summit in November 2014, where the Act East Policy was launched. Integrating the economy and security is the idea behind the policy. The policy mainly targets the Asia-Pacific region, especially South East Asia and East Asia. The Look East Policy has been modified under this policy.

Indian Foreign Policy’s Act East initiative is intended to promote economic, strategic, and cultural ties between India and the Asia-Pacific region at all levels. This region has become increasingly significant to the country’s international relations since 1992 due to its eastward push. Act East and Look East represent the two phases of India’s Asia-Pacific policy; each represents a different stage, but they complement one another.

Conclusion

India and Japan discussed ongoing projects in the North-Eastern region of India at the Act East Forum, as described in this article. In addition, we discussed several projects that have been implemented under the Indo-Japanese bilateral cooperation program. As part of the meeting, the forum was also credited with helping modernise the North-Eastern region. India’s Act East Policy and Japan’s vision for a “Free and Open Indo-Pacific” are in alignment with the Act East Forum, which promotes India-Japan collaboration in the North-Eastern region.