New Delhi ¨C The venue of the envisaged Japan-India summit next month may be changed from Guwahati in the northeastern Indian state of Assam to New Delhi, the capital of the South Asian country, diplomatic sources have said.
The Japanese and Indian governments are in talks to arrange a visit to India by Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi for early July, as part of so-called shuttle diplomacy, or reciprocal visits by the two countries¡¯ leaders. She is expected to meet with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi during the visit.
This would be Takaichi¡¯s first trip to India since taking office last October.
The potential change in the venue from the local city to the capital reflects time constraints. Takaichi¡¯s stay in India is likely to be brief and tightly scheduled due to her parliamentary duties, making it difficult for her to travel to and from a regional city, according to the source.
If held in Assam, meanwhile, the summit may provide Japan with an opportunity to showcase its support for the development of the state and other areas in northeastern India.
In 2019, then Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe was scheduled to meet with the Indian leader in Guwahati, the largest city in Assam, but the meeting was called off at the last minute because of a deterioration in the local security situation.
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