Guwahati no longer expected to host Japan PM Takaichi during July India visit

Japan Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi's first official visit to India is expected to take place from July 1 to July 3, but Guwahati is now unlikely to feature in her itinerary, according to a CNN-News18 report.

Earlier, apart from New Delhi, Guwahati was also considered as a possible venue and was offered to the Japanese side. However, the report suggests that the visit will now be limited to the national capital because of time constraints.

According to the report, Prime Minister Takaichi is working within a very tight window due to her domestic commitments, including an ongoing session of Japan's Parliament, known as the Diet. Given the limited time available and the logistical challenges associated with travel outside Delhi, both sides are now leaning towards a Delhi-only programme.

More from India

Focus on strengthening bilateral ties

Officials believe a Delhi-focused visit would also make it easier to accommodate several important engagements that India and Japan are keen to include in order to further strengthen bilateral relations.

Takaichi's visit is being closely watched as it will be her first official trip to India as Prime Minister. The visit is expected to provide fresh momentum to the India-Japan strategic partnership, which has expanded significantly in areas such as infrastructure, technology, defence cooperation and regional connectivity.

Why Guwahati was important

A visit to Guwahati would have carried considerable symbolic and strategic significance. It would have highlighted the growing importance of India's Northeast under the Centre's Act East Policy and reinforced Japan's long-standing interest in the region's development.

In fact, the idea of hosting an India-Japan annual summit in Guwahati dates back nearly seven years. In December 2019, Prime Minister Narendra Modi and then Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe were scheduled to hold a summit in the Assam capital. The event was later cancelled amid protests over the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA).

Assam's growing global profile

The development comes at a time when Assam has been projecting itself as a major tourism and investment destination in Northeast India.

Recently, the European Union lifted its travel advisory for most parts of Assam, allowing citizens of all 27 EU member countries to travel freely across the state, except in three districts that remain under the Armed Forces (Special Powers) Act (AFSPA).

The state's Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma described the move as a sign of growing international confidence in Assam's security and stability. He noted that Australia and Japan had already removed similar advisories last year.

Sarma also said the state government had spent months engaging with foreign embassies to highlight improvements in Assam's security situation. The lifting of travel restrictions is expected to boost tourism and strengthen Assam's international profile.

The Chief Minister recently indicated that Assam was preparing to host high-level international dignitaries between July 1 and July 3, fuelling speculation about a possible visit by the Japanese Prime Minister. However, the report now suggests that Guwahati is unlikely to be part of Takaichi's final itinerary.