Japanese envoy calls on UP CM, discusses cooperation

Japanese Ambassador to India Kenji Hiramatsu called on Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on Thursday and held discussions on, among other issues, cooperation in state industrial and tourism sectors.

He discussed the opportunities for higher education in his country for students from Uttar Pradesh, an official said.

The Japanese envoy pointed out how India and his county shared longstanding cultural and historic relations.

The Chief Minister said Uttar Pradesh wished to use these ties for the development of the state.

Ambassador Hiramitsu said the upcoming Convention Centre in Varanasi, announced by Japanese Premier Shinzo Abe during his visit to the Uttar Pradesh city along with Prime Minister Narendra Modi, will be completed soon.

Varanasi and Qyoto have signed a 'partner city' agreement under which modernisation of water supply, sewerage, and waste management will be taken up.

Japan has given financial assistance for regeneration of Ganga river in Varanasi, waste disposal and setting up of the Fatima Hospital in Gorakhpur and a school in Ambedkarnagar.

Hiramatsu assured of similar assistance and cooperation by his country in future too.

The Japanese envoy also informed that Official Development Assistance (ODA), an arm of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Japan, also provides loans to minimise pollution from thermal power plants and expressed Japan's desire to make these power plants modern by use of new techniques.

The Chief Minister said his government was working to develop the Buddhist circuit encompassing Varanasi, Sarnath, Kushinagar, Kapilvastu and Shrawasti and other areas for the benefit of pilgrims from Japan and other countries.

The Ambassador said his country's government will be willing to chip in for training of state's teachers in teaching of Japanese language.

The facility for learning Japanese has been made in Indian Institute of Technology-Kanpur, Banaras Hindu University and Amity University, Hiramatsu added.

Similar to educational exchanges between IIT-Kanpur and Tokyo University, other similar pacts can be inked with state universities for research, the envoy added.

The Ambassador expressed the desire to bring a delegation of industrialists and investors from Japan to Uttar Pradesh, which was welcomed by the Chief Minister.

--IANS

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