SHILLONG, March 3: Asian Confluence, a think tank institute, in collaboration with the Embassy of Japan, will host a daylong web-dialogue on ‘Development of North Eastern Indian Region: Indo-Japan Collaboration for Connectivity, Commerce, Capacity Building, Culture and Conservation’ on Friday, a statement issued here informed.
The dialogue will dwell on various developmental issues and future opportunities for further India-Japan collaboration in the North East through three-session panel discussions. It also aims to highlight the key importance of the collaboration for developing a secure and prosperous Northeastern region in convergence of ‘India’s Act East Policy’, and ‘Neighbourhood First Policy’, towards a vibrant Bay of Bengal region and realising a common vision of a free and open Indo-Pacific, the statement said.
At the highest level, the dialogue will be addressed by Harsh V Shringla, Foreign Secretary of India, and HE Suzuki Satoshi, Japanese ambassador to India.
The second session of the dialogue, thematised on ‘Indo-Pacific and India’s North East: Connecting the Dots’, will have in it speakers from the University of Tokyo, Chief Representative, JICA-India and Policy Director, JETRO, Japan.
While, the third session will discuss India-Japan collaboration in the North East and will host panellists from Kyoto University, Secretary, North Eastern Council, Commissioner and Secretary Planning, North Eastern Council, of Government of Meghalaya and Government of Assam.
For the last session, academicians and policymakers from India and Japan will discuss ways to increase cooperation in various areas such as people to people and cultural exchanges as well as the future of the Act East Forum.
Various universities, research institutions, academicians and students from across India, and ASEAN region as well as East Asia will participate in the conference, which will also be hosted at ICSSR-NERC, Shillong. It will also be broadcasted live on the official page of Asian Confluence on Facebook.