External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar, during a visit to Assam along with a Japanese delegation on Monday, said that the potential is immense for India's collaboration with Japan in this northeastern state. Jaishankar was accompanied by Japan's Ambassador to India, Satoshi Suzuki and others in Guwahati to review the several development projects funded by the Japanese government.

"Our presence today not only reflects the strong cooperation that we have with Japan, but actually underlines how this India-Japan partnership can really make a difference not just to India, but specifically to the development of Assam," he said, at a meeting attended by Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal, Minister of Finance Himanta Biswa Sarma, BJP vice president Baijayant Panda among others.

"Given Japan's many strengths and our very positive experiences of collaboration in other parts of India, it is evident that the potential for our collaboration in Assam is really immense. We are already contemplating capacity building in water supply and sewage treatment," he said. Jaishankar added the two countries were also exploring plans for disaster management and urban planning, besides the Bamboo Initiative proposed by Japan.

Jaishankar said India is headed today towards a 5 trillion dollar economy. "But, remember this, remember our history, India was a great country only when eastern India was prosperous and secure. That revival must happen again and that is very much at the core of the Modi government's commitment to Assam."

He said, "I am sure that the Ambassador looks forward to the day when we even have flights from Japan! Bringing more Japanese tourists to Kaziranga is certainly a prospect that we should all aim for in the coming years."