PM Modi to attend funeral of former Japanese PM Shinzo Abe in Tokyo this evening

Prime Minister Narendra Modi will embark on a visit to Japan this evening to attend the funeral of former Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe in Tokyo. Briefing media in New Delhi on the visit, Foreign Secretary Vinay Mohan Kwatra said the ceremony will be held at Budokan arena which will be followed by a greeting occasion at Akasaka Palace in Tokyo. He said representatives from over a hundred countries and more than twenty Heads of State are expected to participate in the state funeral. These include Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, US Vice-President Kamala Harris, and South Korean Prime Minister Han Duck-soo.

Mr. Modi will meet his Japanese counterpart Fumio Kishida during the visit. Foreign Secretary said it will be an opportunity for the two leaders to reaffirm commitment to further strengthening India Japan Special Strategic and Global Partnership.

This visit of Prime Minister Modi to Japan comes after Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida’s visit to India for India Japan Summit Meet in March this year and Prime Minister Modi’s visit to Japan for the Quad Summit in May. These meetings have underscored the two leaders’ continuing commitment towards further deepening India-Japan ties.

Foreign Secretary Kwatra said Japan is one of the most trusted and valued strategic partners of India. The two sides are committed to strengthening bilateral partnership in key areas which include trade and investment, defence and security, climate change, and infrastructure.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the former Japanese PM had developed a personal bond of trust and friendship through their numerous meetings and interactions spanning over a decade. The two leaders made enormous contributions to India-Japan ties and were singularly responsible for elevating India-Japan relations to the status of Special, Strategic and Global Partnership in 2014.

Shinzo Abe made significant contributions to deepening India-Japan relations turning the largely economic relationship into a broad, strategic and comprehensive partnership. This visit will be an opportunity for Prime Minister Modi to honour the memory of the former Japanese Prime Minister who he considered a dear friend and a great champion of India-Japan relationship.