Prime Minister Narendra Modi hopes to accelerate the pace of unfinished projects and initiatives started by India and Japan during his five-day visit to that country. Besides holding discussions to boost defence and security cooperation including Defence technology, equipment and industry, Modi hopes to “write a new chapter” in bilateral ties with Japan while taking the Strategic and Global Partnership to the higher level.
On the eve of his departure to Kyoto, where PM will make his first stopover to take ideas on developing his constituency Varanasi on the same model, Modi said they will explore how Japan can associate itself productively with his vision of inclusive development in India, including the transformation of India’s manufacturing, infrastructure sectors, energy and social sectors.
Noting that this will be his first bilateral visit outside the immediate neighbourhood as Prime Minister, Modi said it underlines “the high priority” that Japan receives in India’s foreign and economic policies. “It is also a reflection of Japan’s paramount importance in my vision for development and prosperity in India and in peace, stability and prosperity in Asia at large,” Modi said while terming Japanese PM Shinzo Abe as his “good friend.”
In a special gesture, Abe will fly down to Kyoto to meet Modi when he lands there on Saturday even though the formal talks between the two PMs will take place in Tokyo on September 1.
“I am meeting Prime Minister Abe at a time of enormous global challenges, from persisting economic weaknesses to turmoil and transitions in different parts of the world. I hope to exchange views with Prime Minister Abe on important regional and global developments of shared interest,” Modi said. The Prime Minister said there is there is only goodwill and mutual admiration between the two countries.
later, during an interaction with the Japanese journalists in New Delhi, Modi termed the India-Japan bonding as a relationship of an “umbilical cord.” Modi underlined the fact that Japan was one of the first countries to provide help at the time Gujarat was hit by a massive earthquake. Modi was the Gujarat Chief Minister then. “For the last 30 years, University in Gujarat has maintained very regular and dynamic student exchange programmes with Japanese Universities. When Gujarat was hit by an earthquake, Japan was one of the first countries to offer help and support. I have personally maintained great attachment and close relations with Japan,” Modi said. While referring to the economic policies of PM Abe, Modi said he sees a lot of complementarily and synergy between the goals of Abenomics and what he is trying to achieve in India. “Japan will always remain our preferred economic partner. Japan supported India’s infrastructure development over the years through generous ODA loans,” he added.
Agreements on Defence, security, civil nuclear sectors, joint production of rare earth materials and bullet train are likely to be consolidated during the PM’s visit. India has shown interest in the amphibian aircraft Shinmaywa-US2. India is the first few countries to which Japan has offered a military platform after the World War II. On the bullet train, Chairman Railway Board Arunendra Kumar is understood to have briefed the PMO on the subject on Friday. To facilitate the FDI or private party funding, the Commerce Ministry couple of days earlier allowed the railway for FDI in many sectors, including high speed corridors. Railways have already signed an MoU with Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) for conducting the detailed study for running bullet train on Mumbai-Ahmedabad route at 300 km/hr speed.
Meanwhile, Modi has categorically said that his government was currently are not taking any initiative for a review of India’s nuclear doctrine.