The Ministry of External Affairs today said that India-Japan discussions on the Mumbai-Ahmedabad High-Speed Rail project are progressing well. Replying to a question regarding a social media post related to the project, External Affairs Ministry Spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said, the post reflects an individual opinion and is at considerable variance with the facts. Briefing the media in New Delhi, he said that Japan will provide the E20 train series, but only in the early 2030s, as the train is still under development. Highlighting the progress of the High Speed Rail Project, Mr Jaiswal said that construction work has progressed rapidly, and the first section will be operational in 2027. He said that both sides agreed to begin operations with an Indian high-speed train.
Regarding Chabahar port, Mr Jaiswal said that there was a waiver granted by the American side which expired some time ago. He said that the Ministry has been in discussions with the relevant stakeholders on how to take this matter forward. On the reported attack over Chabahar, Mr Jaiswal confirmed that the terminal did not suffer any damage.
On Pakistan-occupied Jammu and Kashmir (PoJK), the MEA Spokesperson said that the government has always maintained that the entire Union Territories of Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh are an integral part of India.
