India and Japan held the fifth joint meeting of the India-Japan Act East Forum (AEF) on 28 January 2021 in New Delhi. The meeting was co-chaired by Shri Harsh Vardhan Shringla, Foreign Secretary, and H.E. Mr. Suzuki Satoshi, Ambassador of Japan to India.
The AEF reviewed progress of ongoing projects in the North Eastern Region of India in various areas including connectivity, hydropower, sustainable development, harnessing of water resources, and skill development.
They discussed several new projects being undertaken under India-Japan bilateral cooperation and also exchanged views on cooperation in new areas such as healthcare, agro-industries and SMEs, bamboo value chain development, smart city, tourism and people-to-people exchanges.
Foreign Secretary and the Japanese Ambassador appreciated the role played by the AEF since its establishment in 2017 in streamlining India-Japan bilateral cooperation for the modernization of the North Eastern Region.
AEF provides a platform for India-Japan collaboration in the North Eastern Region under India’s “Act East Policy” and Japan’s vision for a “Free and Open Indo-Pacific”.
Dr. Niranjan B Poojar 
Balaji Subramanian