Japan will support connectivity plans linking Northeast India to the Bay of Bengal and the Indian Ocean region, said Deputy Foreign Minister of Japan Horii Iwao on Friday (February 27, 2026).
Japan’s new PM commits to higher defence spend, ties with India, Quad
Speaking at a foreign policy conclave in Meghalaya’s capital, Shillong, the visiting dignitary said the Northeastern States can serve as a “powerful engine of growth” when harmonised with a grid that includes Southeast Asia, Bangladesh and Nepal.
Also Read | CM Adityanath invited Japanese entrepreneurs to invest in Uttar Pradesh
“Japan will support connectivity linking Northeast India to the Bay of Bengal and the Indian Ocean. Northeast India is located in a pivotal geopolitical position as a gateway to Southeast Asia,” said Horii Iwao, who spoke at the Sixth India-Japan Intellectual Conclave organised by Asian Confluence, a Shillong-based foreign policy think tank. The visiting dignitary further said that Japan remains “firmly committed to the development of Northeast India”.
