Guwahati, June 23 (IANS) The proposed summit-level meeting between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi is now likely to be held in New Delhi instead of Guwahati, with logistical considerations reportedly prompting a rethink of plans to host the high-profile engagement in Assam, sources said on Tuesday.

Takaichi is expected to visit India from July 1 to 3 for the annual India-Japan summit, which will mark her first official trip to the country since assuming office as Japan’s Prime Minister.

While Guwahati had earlier been under consideration as the venue for the summit, indications now suggest that the Japanese leader’s itinerary may be restricted to the national capital. Sources familiar with the development said the Japanese Prime Minister’s domestic commitments have significantly limited the duration of her overseas travel, making an additional visit to Assam difficult within the available timeframe.

Holding the summit in New Delhi is also expected to simplify scheduling and facilitate a more focused bilateral agenda.

The possibility of hosting the summit in Guwahati had gained attention after Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma recently stated that discussions were underway to organise the India-Japan leaders’ meeting in the state’s capital city.

Such a move would have made the Northeast the first region outside the traditional diplomatic circuit to host the annual summit.

Earlier indications had suggested that Takaichi could travel to Assam accompanied by a sizeable delegation of Japanese industry leaders representing major corporations and business groups exploring investment opportunities in the Northeast.

The summit is expected to review the progress of the India-Japan Special Strategic and Global Partnership while exploring cooperation in trade, investment, infrastructure, economic security, energy, critical minerals and resilient supply chains.

Regional and global geopolitical developments are also likely to feature prominently in the discussions.

The prospect of holding the summit in Assam carried symbolic significance as well.

In 2019, a planned visit by former Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe to Guwahati for talks with PM Modi was postponed amid protests over the Citizenship (Amendment) Act.

Neither New Delhi nor Tokyo has officially announced the final programme, but sources indicated that preparations are now centred on hosting the summit in the national capital.

–IANS

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