PM to attend Abe funeral today; hold brief meeting with Japan PM | The Indian Express
Foreign Secretary Vinay Mohan Kwatra said Japan is one of the “most trusted and valued strategic partners of India”.
“The bilateral meeting between Prime Minister Modi and Prime Minister Kishida during the upcoming visit will be an opportunity for the two leaders to reaffirm their commitment to further strengthening of India-Japan Special Strategic and Global Partnership,” Foreign Secretary Vinay Mohan Kwatra said.
“The discussions will take a very quick overview and assessment of the overall relationship, its current status, its trajectory, its progress, and the measures that they both need to take, to progress it further as also use this occasion of their meeting between the two Prime Ministers to reaffirm their continuing commitment and the strong efforts that stakeholders on both sides continue to make, to promote and progress this relationship further,” Kwatra said.
Modi, who is headed to Tokyo on Monday night, tweeted, “I will be conveying heartfelt condolences to Prime Minister Kishida and Mrs. [Akie] Abe on behalf of all Indians. We will continue working to further strengthen India-Japan relations as envisioned by Abe San.”
India had announced one-day national mourning on July 9 as a mark of respect for Shinzo Abe, who was shot dead while making a campaign speech three months ago.
Kwatra said, “This visit by Prime Minister Modi will be an opportunity for him to honour the memory of former Prime Minister Abe, who he considered a dear friend and a great champion of India-Japan relationship.” He said Modi and Abe had developed a “personal bond of trust and friendship” through their numerous meetings and interactions spanning over a decade beginning from the Prime Minister’s visit to Japan in 2007 as the then chief minister of Gujarat.
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