Sonowal calls for long term vision for Indo-Japan partnership to complement NE's development

The Assam CM said that the state government is taking a series of initiatives ranging from discussion with Japanese Ambassador to interaction between the top officials of Assam and Japan to understand the mutual requirements of both the entities and accordingly taking steps to bolster economic development.

He also said that Assam and Japan share core strengths of partnership in tourism, culture, education, trade and organic farm products.

Referring to Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s vision of making North East as an organic hub of the country, Sonowal said, "Beauty of Assam exists in nature and I profess to bring in economic development of the State in sync with the nature and seeks Assam-Japan cooperation towards helping North East go organic."

“If we closely look at North Eastern Region in its entirety ranging from anthropological, geographical, economic and cultural setting vis-a-vis Japan, we will realise that partnership of India and Japan would find a sound platform with this region as a springboard,” Sonowal said.

He also said that the relationship between north eastern region and Japan is very deep rooted except in the area of current level of economic development of Japan and North East.

However, Sonowal said that the present State Government after taking over the power has taken several pro-active steps to bring back business confidence and revive the investment cycle in the State.

Sonowal informed that Assam became the first state in the country to ratify the GST constitutional Amendment Bill.

The present government also passed the Assam Ease of Doing Business Bill-2016 in the very session of the Assembly.

He also informed the gathering that his government would set up a World Class Global Business Centre in Guwahati which would act as a business hub of the entire north East as well as neighbouring countries.

Drawing a parallel between Act East Policy, South East Asian Nations and North Eastern Region, Sonowal said that North East is not just a window for ASEAN in the context of Act East Policy.

“We need to see NER as teeming thoroughfare between mainland of India and ASEAN countries. To bring this point home, State Government has announced a separate department on Act East Policy matters,” Sonowal said.

Citing a plethora of initiatives to the Japanese delegates, Sonowal said that State Government’s decision to create ‘State Capital Region’ encompassing Guwahati and its peripheral areas, short listing Guwahati as one of the first 20 cities where Smart City Project has been launched, creation of Skill, Employment and Entrepreneurship Development Department and launching of ‘Çhief Minister’s Samagra Gramya Unnayan Yojana’ with an outlay or Rs. 30,000 crore envisaging all round development of all villages in the State are some of his government’s important schemes to bring in economic development of the State.

Embellishing his vision for Assam and North East, Sonowal said that his government with the help of the Centre would turn Assam and North East into the epicentre of Act East Policy with three C’s as three pillar namely communication, commerce and culture.

Drawing Japanese policy makers’ attention, Sonowal said that the State Government would hold the first ever Global Business Summit in the last part of 2017 to showcase immense opportunities to invest in Assam.

He also said that the workshop would unveil the inherent potentiality, prosperity and possibility of Assam to Japan and the discussion in the workshop would hamper out a road map for bolstering economic partnership between North East and Japan.
 
Minister Political, Embassy of Japan in India Hideki Asari while speaking at the workshop said that Assam is important for Japan as the country draws a synergy between Japna’s policy towards ASEAN and India’s Act East Policy and Assam.

He also underlined the importance of exploiting constant people to people exchange between India and Japan for strengthening partnership between the two countries.

Organised by India Foundation in association with Indian Council for Research on International Economic Relations (ICRIER) the inaugural programme was also attended among others by Water Resources Minister Keshab Mahanta, Agriculture Minister Atul Bora, Chief Minister’s Media Advisor Hrishikesh Goswami, Director Nehru Memorial Museum and Library Shakti Sinha and several delegates from both India and Japan.

(Reporting by Hemanta Kumar Nath)