Jaishankar meets S Asia’s Japanese envoys

In a move highlighting the growing strategic closeness between India and Japan, External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar met with Japanese envoys of five South Asian countries, including Pakistan.

Tweeting a picture of the meeting, he said "Pleasure to receive delegation of Japanese Ambassadors to India, Sri Lanka, Nepal, Bangladesh, Pakistan, Maldives. Discussed advancing India-Japan cooperation & synergizing our Act East Policy."

Jaishankar's meeting came as Japan emphasised India's role as a global power to help in the realisation of a free and open Indo-Pacific where China has been flexing its military muscles.

Japan, which is the only country that India has allowed into infrastructure projects in its Northeast, has announced investment of INR 13,000 crore in various connectivity projects for the sensitive land-locked northeastern region.

These include bridges, highways, water supply projects, buildings, sheds and godowns, among others. Japan's contribution to Northeast infrastructure projects comes as the government of Prime Minister Narendra Modi has been massively pushing to develop the region, through road, railway and air connectivity, to integrate the region with the rest of the country.

Japan's role in development work in the Northeast will also help in boosting connectivity between the member-states of the BIMSTEC sub-regional group Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Myanmar, Nepal, Sri Lanka and Thailand.

Japan and India are also part of the ambitious Asia Africa Growth Corridor project to connect Asia with Africa - seen as a counter to China's deep inroads into the mineral-rich continent.