Modi, Abe likely to reach Guwahati on Dec 15

Prime Minister NarendraModi along with his Japanese counterpart Shinzo Abe will reach Guwahati on December15 for the 14th India-Japan annual summit.

According to government sources, apart from a one-to-one meeting between PM Modi and Abe, there will be a delegate session and a business session. "PM Modi wants his Japanese counterpart to experience the best of local traditions involving as many ethnic communities as possible," sources informed.

Last week, ForeignSecretary Vijay Gokhale had led a team of the MEA and security officials toconduct a reconnaissance of likely venues including a colonial-era bungalow, ariver cruise on the Brahmaputra as both the leaders are likely to go on acruise on the Brahmaputra

Later on Monday, AssamFinance Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma also held a review meeting with theofficials of the Guwahati Development Department (GDD), which oversees twomajor projects funded by the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) — a Rs.1,178.75-crore sewerage and a Rs. 1,450-crore water supply project in Guwahati.

According to The Hindu,a Japanese official had last week confirmed that the government was keen onmaking India's "eastern region" the venue for the summit for Abe, who hadtravelled during previous summits to Varanasi and Ahmedabad.

It may be mentioned here that recently PM Modi himself had made the pitch to travel to the northeast "at least once in your life" during his Mann Ki Baat radio broadcast.