 "Image courtesy: @narendramodi/X")
Prime Minister Narendra Modi arrived in Tokyo on Friday to attend the annual India-Japan Summit with his Japanese counterpart, Shigeru Ishiba.
The prime minister, shortly before leaving for Japan on Thursday night, exuded confidence that his two-nation trip would further national interests and priorities.
“I am confident that my visits to Japan and China would further our national interests and priorities, and contribute to building fruitful cooperation in advancing regional and global peace, security, and sustainable development,” he said in a departure statement.
The Indian diaspora, as well as the Japanese community, will welcome PM Modi shortly with classical dance performances and the recitation of the Gayatri Mantra.
The talks during the summit, to be held on the first day of his trip, are expected to see Japan pledging to double its investment target in India and the two sides are likely to unveil a raft of agreements to expand cooperation in a range of areas, including defence and technology.
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On his visit to Japan, the prime minister said both sides would focus on shaping the “next phase in our Special Strategic and Global Partnership”, which he said has made steady and significant progress over the past 11 years.
“We would endeavour to give new wings to our collaboration, expand scope and ambition of our economic and investment ties, and advance cooperation in new and emerging technologies, including AI and semiconductors,” he said.
On the second day of his trip, Modi and Ishiba are likely to travel to Sendai city on the high-speed train to visit a semiconductor facility.
‘Look forward to upcoming meetings’
Soon after landing in Japan, PM Modi said on X, “Landed in Tokyo. As India and Japan continue to strengthen their developmental cooperation, I look forward to engaging with PM Ishiba and others during this visit, thus providing an opportunity to deepen existing partnerships and explore new avenues of collaboration.”
From here, the prime minister will depart for China, where he will attend the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) Summit. During his visit to the country, he is expected to meet Chinese President Xi Jinping and Russia’s Vladimir Putin.
“From Japan, I will travel to China to attend the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation Summit in Tianjin, at the invitation of President Xi Jinping. India is an active and constructive member of SCO. During our Presidency, we have introduced new ideas and initiated collaboration in the fields of innovation, health and cultural exchanges. India remains committed to working with the SCO members to address shared challenges and deepen regional cooperation. I also look forward to meeting President Xi Jinping, President Putin and other leaders on the sidelines of the Summit,” PM Modi said.
With inputs from agencies