Ahmeabad: The 51 member Japanese delegation led by the Mayor of Kobe held a meeting with Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation Authorities to finalise the joint declaration of work plan
to further the Terms of Letter of Intent (LOI) signed earlier between the cities of Kobe and Ahmedabad for mutual co-operation for economic development and cultural relation.

The meeting was chaired by the Mayor of Ahmedabad. Bijal Patel.

Municipal Commissioner Vijay Nehra, Standing Committee Chairman Amul Bhatt and other senior Officers of the AMC were present.

The Municipal Commissioner in his welcome address referred to the India’s long standing economic and cultural relations with Japan which is now growing stronger. He
mentioned the ambitious High Speed Rail Project, Ahmedabad Metro Rail project financed by the Japan International Co-operation Agency (JICA) and about the association of Japanese companies with Smart city project and the the Suzuki plant and many other business establishments in the state of Gujarat.

He said that Kobe is a world Design City and Ahmedabad is the First World Heritage City of India. While preserving heritage, we are keen to smart and modern development of the city.
‘ We have reclaimed land, where we have an opportunity to develop iconic structures in collaboration with Japan. There are also possibilities of more partnership especially in the areas of Smart city development, Electrical mobility etc. under the work plan envisaged in the Letter of Intent signed earlier,’ Nehra said.

The Ahmedabad Mayor admired the punctuality, patriotism and other good qualities of the people of Japan. She said that Ahmedabad, while preserving heritage and culture is making all efforts for modern development of the city. She mentioned about the association of Mahatma Gandhi with the City and his spearheading the Independent movement from his stay at the Sabarmati Ashram here. She also recalled the interaction she had during the Kobe City visit in December last year and thanked the Japanese side for the support and warmth that Ahmedabad delegation received during its visit.

The high-level Japanese delegation led by the Mayor of Kobe held a meeting with AMC Authorities to finalize the joint declaration of work plan signed earlier between Kobe and Ahmedabad for mutual co-operation for economic development and cultural relation. #AmdavadAMC pic.twitter.com/r380uAEhSP

— AMC (@AmdavadAMC) January 24, 2020

The Mayor of Kobe expressed gratitude to the Ahmedabad Mayor, Municipal Commissioner and Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation for facilitating their visit.

He said that it was a great honour for him that the Counsel General of Japan in Bombay also joined him to visit Gandhi Ashram, the place from where Indian freedom movement got nourished. He also recalled about the visit of Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe to Gujarat and Ahmedabad along with Indian PM Narendra Modi.

He praised the extensive development witnessed by him in Ahmedabad city and said that there were great opportunities for exchange of ideas for development of the two cities. ‘We see great opportunities of mutual benefit in our city to city relationship and also invite people of Ahmedabad for next Olympic in Tokyo, in July – 202o,; he said.

Mayor of Ahmedabad and Kobe Mayor also signed a joint declaration on work plan to further the terms of Letter of Intent entered into between the city of Kobe and the
city of Ahmedabad.

DeshGujarat