Guwahati: Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida pulled his planned trip to Assam at the last minute. The visit to New Delhi remains on the books. Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma confirmed the change on June 23 after a late-night call from the center.
Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri broke the news to the state Chief Secretary at 10:30 pm on Monday. He blamed logistical snags for the abrupt shift. "The Foreign Secretary communicated that the proposed visit of the Prime Minister of Japan has been cancelled due to logistical issues. However, the visit will now be confined to New Delhi only. We have also been assured that the proposed investment summit will be held on a mutually agreed date," Sarma said.
State officials are in the dark. They have no official word on why the trip fell through. Sarma plans to grill External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar for answers once he reaches the capital. This marks the second time a Japanese leader skipped a visit to the state, following a similar no-show in 2019.
Guwahati had been ready for weeks. Embassy staffers spent a month there scouting hotels and verifying food security. The Chief Minister expressed frustration over the wasted effort. Despite the loss, the state government maintains that a future investment summit with Japanese partners remains on the table.
Comments