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Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who arrived in Japan for the G7 summit on Friday, and US President Joe Biden shared a hug as they met in the Japanese city of Hiroshima. Both Modi and Biden, along with other world leaders, were attending the G7 working session on food, health and development.
Modi is visiting Hiroshima from May 19 to 21 primarily for the annual summit of the G7 advanced economies in which he is expected to speak on challenges facing the globe, including food, fertiliser and energy security.
As day two of the meeting is underway, we take a look at the various bilateral talks that PM Modi held along with the unveiling of Mahatma Gandhi’s bust in Hiroshima:
PM Modi unveils Gandhi’s bust
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday unveiled a bust of Mahatma Gandhi in the Japanese city of Hiroshima.
The world gets frightened even today when it hears the word ‘Hiroshima’, PM Modi said as he unveiled the bust of Gandhi, an apostle of peace.
The bust site is adjacent to the Motoyasu River, and is close to the iconic A-Bomb Dome that is visited by thousands of people every day.
After unveiling the bust sculpted by Padma Bhushan awardee Ram Vanji Sutar, PM Modi interacted with the Indian diaspora in Hiroshima.
The bust was gifted by India to Hiroshima as a symbol of friendship and goodwill between India and Japan on the occasion of Prime Minister Modi’s visit to the city for the G7 summit.
The PM also paid floral tributes to Gandhi.
“Even today, the world gets frightened when it hears the word Hiroshima. I got the opportunity to unveil a bust of Mahatma Gandhi during my visit to Japan for the G7 Summit,” he said after unveiling the 42-inch bronze bust.
PM Modi made the remarks in reference to the 1945 atomic bomb attack on Hiroshima by the United States which destroyed the city and killed some 140,000 people.
Prime Minister Modi further said that the world today is grappling with climate change and terrorism and asserted that the best solution to win the fight against the climate crisis was by following Gandhi’s ideals.
The bust of Mahatma Gandhi in Hiroshima will take forward the idea of non-violence, the Prime Minister claimed.
He also expressed joy at the fact that the Bodhi tree that he gifted to the Japanese prime minister has been planted here in Hiroshima so that people can understand the importance of peace when they come here.
Dignitaries present at the unveiling ceremony included Kazumi Matsui, Mayor of Hiroshima City; Tatsunori Motani, Speaker of the Hiroshima City Assembly; Members of Parliament from Hiroshima and senior government officials; members of the Indian community and followers of Gandhi in Japan.
PM Modi holds talks with South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol
Prime Minister Narendra Modi held productive bilateral talks with South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol on Saturday, during which they agreed to deepen cooperation in areas like trade and investment, IT hardware manufacturing and defence and reaffirmed their commitment to further strengthen bilateral ties.
They also discussed India’s G20 presidency and South Korea’s Indo-Pacific strategy.
PM Narendra Modi’s bilateral talks with Japanese PM Fumio Kishida
Prime Minister Narendra Modi reviewed the full range of relations between India and Japan during his bilateral meeting with his Japanese counterpart Fumio Kishida, ANI reported. The two leaders also discussed the focus areas of India’s G20 Presidency and Japan’s G7 Presidency towards making the planet better.
During the talks they also focusing on ways to synergise efforts under G7 and G20 presidencies to deal with various global challenges.
PM Modi, Vietnamese counterpart hold talks
Prime Minister Narendra Modi held wide-ranging talks with his Vietnamese counterpart Pham Minh Chinh during which they discussed opportunities in areas like trade and investment, defence and energy and agreed to deepen bilateral strategic ties.
“Propelling – ties to new levels. Wide-ranging talks between PM @narendramodi and PM Pham Minh Chinh of Vietnam,” the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) tweeted.
PM’s interaction with Japanese artist Hiroko Takayama, author Tomio Mizokami
Moreover, the PM also interacted with renowned Japanese artist Hiroko Takayama and author, Hindi and Punjabi linguist, Tomio Mizokami, and lauded them for their contributions in bringing the two countries closer.
“Met Ms. Hiroko Takayama, a respected artist who has a close association with India. She has worked extensively on enhancing the cultural bonds between India and Japan. She also presented her artwork to me,” The PM tweeted.
“In Hiroshima, I was glad to interact with Professor Tomio Mizokami. A Padma Awardee, he is a distinguished Hindi and Punjabi linguist. He has made numerous efforts to make Indian culture and literature popular among the people of Japan,” PM Modi said.
Prime Minister Modi on China
Amid China’s military expansion in the South China Sea and the East China Sea, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said India is committed to protecting its sovereignty and integrity while promoting peaceful resolution of maritime disputes based on international law.
In an interview with Japanese newspaper Yomiuri Shimbun, Modi said the G7 and G20 summits are crucial platforms for global cooperation.
“As the G20 chair, I will represent the perspectives and priorities of the Global South at the G7 Summit in Hiroshima. Strengthening collaboration between the G7 and G20 is vital in addressing global challenges like climate change, supply chain disruptions, economic recovery, energy instability, healthcare, food security, and peace and security,” he said.
The G7 bloc comprises Japan, the United States, the United Kingdom, France, Germany, Canada and Italy, as well as the European Union. (With PTI and ANI inputs)
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