Guwahati, 23 June (HS): Assam Chief Minister Dr. Himanta Biswa Sarma on Tuesday announced that Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi will not be visiting Assam this time due to special reasons. Addressing a press conference after the state Cabinet meeting, the Chief Minister said that India's Foreign Secretary Vikram Mistri had informed the state's Chief Secretary about the development.

Dr. Sarma stated that instead of travelling to Assam, the Japanese Prime Minister's itinerary will now remain confined to New Delhi. He added that a separate date would be fixed in the future to facilitate the visit of Japanese industrialists and investors to Assam.

The Chief Minister said that the state government has not yet been informed about the reasons behind the cancellation of the visit. He noted that he may seek clarification on the matter during a future visit to New Delhi or in discussions with External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar.

Recalling a similar situation in 2019, Dr. Sarma said that extensive preparations had been made at that time as well, but the visit of the Japanese Prime Minister could not materialise. He described the latest development as unfortunate for the state.

He further informed that officials from the Japanese Embassy had been stationed in Assam for nearly a month, making preparations for the proposed visit. However, due to last-minute changes in the programme, the visit has now been postponed.-----------

Hindusthan Samachar / Sriprakash