Japan will connect Northeast India to the Bay of Bengal

Japan will support connectivity plans linking Northeast India to the Bay of Bengal and the Indian Ocean region, said Deputy Foreign Minister of Japan Horii Iwao.

Speaking at a foreign policy conclave in Meghalaya’s capital, Shillong, the visiting dignitary said the Northeastern States can serve as a “powerful engine of growth” when harmonised with a grid that includes Southeast Asia, Bangladesh and Nepal.

“Japan will support connectivity linking Northeast India to the Bay of Bengal and the Indian Ocean. Northeast India is located in a pivotal geopolitical position as a gateway to Southeast Asia,” said Horii Iwao, who spoke at the Sixth India-Japan Intellectual Conclave organised by Asian Confluence, a Shillong-based foreign policy think tank. The visiting dignitary further said that Japan remains “firmly committed to the development of Northeast India”.

“When we view this region as part of a broader economic region encompassing Nepal, Bhutan, India, Bangladesh and Southeast Asia, it possesses significant potential to serve as a powerful engine of growth,” he further said.