9 Japan Prefectures Set Up Framework to Boost Ties with India

Tokyo, Feb. 17 (Jiji Press)–Yamanashi and eight other Japanese prefectures have formed a framework aimed at deepening exchanges with India, whose economy continues growing rapidly. The prefectures, also including Iwate, Miyagi, Toyama, Nagano, Shizuoka, Aichi, Tottori and Kagawa, hope to strengthen cooperation with the South Asian country in fields such as tourism, corporate expansion, education and culture. They plan to invite other prefectures to join the Japan-India friendship and exchange promotion network, which was announced Monday. The framework “will allow participating prefectures to work on equal footing to advance interchanges and economic collaboration with Indian states,” Kotaro Nagasaki, governor of Yamanashi, which led the launch of the framework, said at a ceremony held at the Indian Embassy in Tokyo the same day. He indicated hopes that member prefectures will utilize the framework to further advance the cooperative relations with Indian regions they have developed and to create synergies for expanding exchanges beyond their current partners. At a symposium held after the ceremony, prefectural officials outlined their efforts. Iwate said that it is promoting exchanges with India in the chip sector and related fundamental technologies, noting that the northeastern Japan prefecture hosts semiconductor-related companies. Toyama showed expectations for attracting more visitors from India, citing the Kurobe Dam and other tourism resources in the central prefecture. Indian Ambassador to Japan Nagma Mallick said Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, during his visit to Japan in August last year, showed his view that cooperation between Indian states and Japanese prefectures will be a pillar of next-generation partnerships. Mallick added that she is happy to be able to support the formation of a Japan-India cooperation framework. In a joint declaration adopted Monday, the nine prefectures said they will call on many other prefectures to join the framework and advance initiatives that help deepen engagement with India, signaling eagerness to reinforce coordination between prefectures. END [Copyright The Jiji Press, Ltd.]