Prime Minister Narendra Modi has left to Tokyo to attend the State Funeral of former Prime Minister of Japan Shinzo Abe. In a tweet today, Mr. Modi conveyed his heartfelt condolences to Japan’s Prime Minister Fumio Kishida and Mrs. Abe on behalf of all Indians. The Prime Minister termed Shinzo Abe a dear friend and a great champion of India-Japan friendship. He said, work will continue to further strengthen India-Japan relations as envisioned by Shinzo Abe. Shinzo Abe was assassinated during an election campaign on 8th July this year. India had announced one day of national mourning on 9th July as a mark of respect to Shinzo Abe.
Earlier, briefing media in New Delhi on the visit, Foreign Secretary Vinay Mohan Kwatra said the State Funeral of Shizo Abe will be held at Budokan arena which will be followed by a greeting occasion at Akasaka Palace in Tokyo. He said representatives from over a hundred countries and more than twenty Heads of State are expected to participate. These include Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, US Vice-President Kamala Harris and South Korean Prime Minister Han Duck-soo.
During his visit, the Prime Minister Narendra Modi will meet his Japanese counterpart Fumio Kishida. The Foreign Secretary said, it will be an opportunity for the two leaders to reaffirm commitment to further strengthening India-Japan Special Strategic and Global Partnership. This visit of Prime Minister Modi to Japan comes after Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida’s visit to India for India Japan Summit Meet in March this year and Prime Minister Modi’s visit to Japan for the Quad Summit in May. These meetings have underscored the two leaders’ continuing commitment towards further deepening India Japan ties.
Foreign Secretary Kwatra said Japan is one of the most trusted and valued startegic partners of India. The two sides are committed to strengthening bilateral partnership in key areas which include trade and investment, defence and security, climate change, and infrastructure. Our correspondent has filed this report.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the former Japanese PM had developed a personal bond of trust and friendship through their numerous meetings and interactions spanning over a decade. The two leaders made enormous contributions to India-Japan ties and were singularly responsible for elevating India-Japan relations to the status of Special, Strategic and Global Partnership in 2014. Shinzo Abe made significant contributions to deepening India-Japan relations turning the largely economic relationship into a broad, strategic and comprehensive partnership. This visit will be an opportunity for Prime Minister Modi to honour the memory of the former Japanese Prime Minister who he considered a dear friend and a great champion of India-Japan relationship
