Prime Minister Narendra Modi arrived in Tokyo to attend the funeral of former Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe. On September 27, Mr. Modi will attend the State Funeral for Mr. Abe at the enormous Nippon Budokan indoor stadium after visiting with Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida.
Additionally, Mr. Modi will meet with Mr. Kishida and Abe’s widow Akie Abe to publicly express his condolences “on behalf of all Indians” and attend a ceremonial ceremony for dignitaries at the Asasaka palace.
As envisioned by Abe San, he continued, “We will keep trying to further improve India-Japan relations.
Mourners from more than a hundred nations, including more than 20 heads of state and governments, are anticipated.
Arindam Bagchi, a spokesman for the ministry of external affairs, tweeted: “PM Narendra Modi arrived in Japan. Will take part in today’s State Funeral for former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe. Will also meet with PM @kishida230 in a private setting to reiterate commitment to continue developing the India-Japan Special Strategic and Global Partnership.”
On July 8 in the southern Japanese city of Nara, Abe was shot and killed while delivering a political speech.
India declared a day of national mourning in honour of Abe on July 9.
In addition to visiting, Prime Minister Fumio Kishida and Abe’s wife Akie, Foreign Secretary Vinay Kwatra said Mr. Modi will attend the state funeral service at Budokan followed by a gathering at Akasaka Palace.
The former prime minister, whom PM Modi regarded as a close friend and a strong supporter of India-Japan relations, will be remembered during the visit, he added.
The India-Japan relationship is gifted with the highest potential for growth of bilateral connections anywhere in the world, Abe said Indian parliamentarians in the “Confluence of Two Seas” address.
According to Mr. Kwatra, PM Modi and Abe became close through their encounters and communications over a ten-year period, starting with Mr. Modi’s trip to Japan in 2007 while serving as the Chief Minister of Gujarat.
According to Mr. Kwatra, “PM Abe made important contributions to developing India-Japan ties, changing a primarily economic connection into a wide, comprehensive, and strategic alliance, making it vital for the security of the two nations and the region.”
He said that in 2007, during his well-known “Confluence of Two Seas” address in the Indian Parliament, “the Indo-Pacific area emerged as a modern political, strategic, and economic reality.”
The Foreign Secretary said that when India gave Abe the coveted Padma Vibhushan award in 2021, it recognised his contributions to India-Japan ties.
“Japan is currently one of India’s most cherished and trusted strategic allies. The two parties are committed to advancing their bilateral cooperation in a number of crucial areas, including trade and investment, defence and security, climate change, health security, infrastructure, digital technology, industrial development, energy, critical and emerging technologies, and human resources, among others “said Mr. Kwatra.
According to Mr. Kwatra, the Indo-Pacific area sees significant convergence between Japan and India.
The two leaders would have the chance to reiterate their dedication to further building the India-Japan Special Strategic and Global Partnership during their bilateral meeting during the next visit, he added.
Read more: Israel can be very strong player in Make-in-India plan, says envoy
