National
Japan-India Act East Forum with focus on India’s North East launched
New Delhi, Dec 6 (IANS) The Japanese Embassy and the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) inaugurated a “Japan-India Act East Forum”, which aims to expand cooperation between Japan and India in India’s North Eastern Region.
The inauguration on Tuesday was attended by Ambassador Kenji Hiramatsu and Indian Foreign Secretary S. Jaishankar, said a Japanese Embassy press release here on Wednesday.
The Forum aims to strengthen the relationship between Japan and the North Eastern Region, as well as that between Japan and India. In this regard, the Forum discusses cooperation in various fields and promotes Japan’s cooperation in the NER.
The Forum is comprised of the Embassy of Japan and other government-affiliated Japanese organisations based in New Delhi from Japan’s side; MEA and other relevant government offices as well as State governments of the NER from India’s side.
The two governments signed the Memorandum of Cooperation on the establishment of the “Act East Forum” when Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe visited Ahmedabad in September with a view to strengthening the existing framework, “Coordination Forum for Development of North Eastern Region” which was jointly established in August.
Ambassador Hiramatsu, in his inaugural address, emphasised that Japan places special focus on cooperation in the NER as the region is located where Japan’s “Free and Open Indo-Pacific Strategy” and India’s “Act East Policy” converge and as the region is important in terms of connectivity with South Asia, Southeast Asia and BIMSTEC countries, the release said.
Referring to historical ties between Japan and the NER, Ambassador Hiramatsu mentioned that Japan is happy to expand the cooperation not only in hard infrastructure development, such as road network connectivity, electricity, water supply and sewage, but also in cultural schemes like people-to-people exchange, Japanese language education and sports exchange; and in social and environmental sustainability projects, such as afforestation and community empowerment.
At the first meeting of the Forum, participants discussed the areas of possible cooperation with Japan, such as
connectivity road infrastructure, tourism, electricity, people-to-people exchange and capacity development. The Japanese side explained its efforts to support disaster management.
–IANS
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National
Foodman Vishal Singh Honored for Hunger Free World Mission in Bangkok
Lucknow: Vishal Singh, a renowned social worker from Lucknow, also known as Foodman, has once again made India proud. He was honored by the Happy Hands Gloves Cooperative Limited Company in Korathai, Thailand, for his work with the Hunger Free World Mission.
The Hunger Free World Mission’s meeting was held in Korathai, Thailand, under Vishal Singh’s leadership. Representatives from several countries, including Mr. Raja Dwivedi (Managing Director of Happy Hands Gloves Limited), Thailand Coordinator Mr. Raja Mishra, and member Mr. Varun Singh, attended the event.
Under Vishal Singh’s leadership, the attendees took a pledge to work together toward creating a hunger-free world.
Speaking on the occasion, Vishal Singh explained that the main goal of the Hunger Free World Mission is social participation. He said the mission is not just about feeding people but also about meeting other basic needs of those who are struggling. The mission focuses on helping families of terminally ill patients in hospitals by providing food and shelter. It also works to fulfill essential needs like education, jobs, and care for the elderly.
For the last 16 years, the Vijay Sri Foundation has been providing free services, benefiting thousands of people. Vishal Singh highlighted that the mission aims to gain global recognition like other organizations such as WHO, WWF, and Red Cross, which work for social causes.
During this meeting, Vishal Singh was appointed as the Chairman of the Hunger Free World Mission by representatives from various countries. They also discussed holding regular meetings in different countries to push the mission forward.
Business tycoon Dr. Abhishek Verma has also supported this humanitarian mission, vowing to promote the idea of “Seva Parmo Dharma” (Service is the highest duty) worldwide. Vishal Singh praised him, stating that people like Dr .Abhishek Verma inspire others to work for the betterment of society.
Recently, Romania’s Ambassador, Mr . Daniela Sezonov Ţane, invited Vishal Singh to the Romanian Embassy in Delhi, where they discussed the mission in detail. Impressed by his humanitarian work, she honored Vishal Singh and invited him to Romania to take the mission forward .
Food man Vishal Singh has been serving the people of India for the past 16 years. Through the Vijay Sri Foundation, he provides free meals to cancer patients & their families ,shelter, and education for women & children along with running free old-age homes in Lucknow.
In addition to his humanitarian work, Vishal Singh also addresses issues like crime and corruption through his role as Chairman of Seva Path Media and Managing Director of Vijay Sri Foundation.
During the COVID-19 pandemic, Vishal Singh and his team worked tirelessly to provide food and help to the needy, including starving children, elderly citizens, and pregnant women. Despite contracting the virus himself, he continued to assist others after his recovery. He even created a life-saving oxygen regulator using household items, which was praised by doctors both in India and abroad.
In his address at the meeting, Vishal Singh spoke about his mission to create a hunger-free world. He pointed out that India’s large population, along with issues like unemployment and poverty, has caused the country to fall on the Hunger Index. He urged people to contribute just one handful of grains daily to help create a hunger-free world.
He concluded by saying that through social participation, we can empower the people around us, meet their basic needs, and work together to build a stronger, more prosperous, and developed society.