New Delhi, March 15 (Agency) India and Japan on Tuesday reviewed the progress of ongoing projects in India’s North East, including in the areas of connectivity, hydropower, forest management among others. The two sides held the sixth meeting of the India-Japan Act East Forum (AEF), which was co-chaired by Foreign Secretary Harsh Vardhan Shringla and Ambassador of Japan Suzuki Satoshi. It was attended by representatives of relevant Ministries and State Governments of the North Eastern Region of India. In addition, officials of the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) and the Japan Foundation (JF) participated.
The AEF forum was set up in 2017 to provide a platform for India-Japan collaboration under the rubric of India’s “Act East Policy” and Japan’s “Free and Open Indo-Pacific Strategy”. It facilitates collaboration between the two sides in connectivity and developmental projects in India’s North East. In today’s meeting, the two sides reviewed progress of ongoing projects in various areas including connectivity, hydropower, forest management, water supply and sewerage, skill development and Japanese language education.They also exchanged views on possible new areas of cooperation, an official statement said.