PM to attend Abe funeral today; hold brief meeting with Japan PM

“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.

Kwatra also said Abe had made “significant contribution” to deepening India-Japan relations, turning the economic relationship into a broad Comprehensive and Strategic Partnership, “making it pivotal for security of both our countries, and also for regional security”. He said: “Prime Minister Abe’s famous ‘Confluence of two Seas’ speech in the Indian Parliament in 2007, laid the ground for the emergence of Indo-Pacific region as a contemporary political, strategic and economic reality…[his] contribution to India-Japan relations was recognized by the conferment upon him of the prestigious Padma Vibhushan in 2021.”

The Prime Minister’s current visit comes after Kishida’s visit to India for the India-Japan Summit meeting earlier in March this year and Modi’s visit to Japan for the Quad Leaders’ Summit in May. Modi and Kishida had also held bilateral a meeting on the sidelines of the Quad Leaders’ Summit in May.

Kwatra said Japan is one of the “most trusted and valued strategic partners of India”.

The Foreign Secretary said: “The two sides are committed to strengthening the bilateral partnership in key areas that include, trade and investment, defence and security, climate change, health security, infrastructure, digital space, industrial development, energy, and critical and emerging technologies and human resources among others. There is a deep convergence in our visions of the Indo-Pacific region and there is close cooperation between our countries on issues of international importance.”