Guwahati: Japan will back projects that improve links between Northeast India and the Bay of Bengal as well as the wider Indian Ocean region, said Japan’s Deputy Foreign Minister Horii Iwao on Friday.
Speaking at the Sixth India-Japan Intellectual Conclave in Shillong, organized by the foreign policy think tank Asian Confluence, Horii underlined the strategic importance of Northeast India.
He described the region as a gateway to Southeast Asia with the potential to drive economic growth when integrated with neighboring countries like Bangladesh, Nepal, Bhutan, and Southeast Asian nations.
Horii said Japan is committed to supporting the region’s growth, including improving trade, infrastructure, and people-to-people ties. Under Japan’s new government led by Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi, Tokyo also aims to foster private-sector cooperation in areas such as semiconductors, clean energy, and economic security.
He added that Japan’s Free and Open Indo-Pacific (FOIP) policy includes plans for an “Industrial Value Chain” linking the Bay of Bengal with Northeast India, which will boost regional development and connectivity to the sea.
The announcement follows recent high-level interactions between the two countries. Prime Minister Narendra Modi visited Japan in August 2025 and met Prime Minister Takaichi during the G20 summit in South Africa in November.
In January, External Affairs Minister Jaishankar hosted his Japanese counterpart Toshimitsu Motegi in New Delhi to further bilateral discussions.