Speed Post News Network
New Delhi : Prime Minister of India Narendra Modi visited Japan on October 28-29, 2018, for the India-Japan Annual Summit with Prime Minister of Japan Shinzo Abe. During the visit, recognizing the unparalleled potential for development of relations between the two countries, Prime Minister Modi and Prime Minister Abe reviewed the significant milestones achieved over the last four years.
The two leaders welcomed recent developments in the Korean Peninsula, including the U.S.-North Korea Summit at Singapore in June and three inter-Korean Summits this year as a step towards the comprehensive resolution of the outstanding issues regarding North Korea. They underscored the importance of realizing North Korea’s complete, verifiable, and irreversible dismantlement of all weapons of mass destruction and ballistic missiles of all ranges in accordance with the relevant United Nations Security Council resolutions (UNSCRs), and the importance of addressing concerns related to North Korea’s proliferation linkages. They reaffirmed their commitment to the full implementation of the relevant UNSCRs. They also urged North Korea to address the earliest resolution of the abductions issue.
The two leaders outlined the shared vision for the future of India-Japan relations stating India-Japan Special Strategic and Global Partnership is firmly rooted in history and based on common values is the mainspring for advancing the two countries’ shared strategic objectives and achieving peace, prosperity and progress to realise a better future for the people of the two countries.
The two leaders shared their view that in order to achieve this shared vision, India and Japan must endeavour to work together for a rules-based and inclusive world order that fosters trust and confidence by enhancing communication and connectivity to ensure rule of law, unimpeded trade and flow of people, technology and ideas for shared prosperity.
PM Modi recognised that the India-Japan relationship has been transformed into a partnership with great substance and purpose and is a corner stone of India’s Act East Policy. Prime Minster Abe underscored the basic importance of India-Japan relationship for the regional order and is determined to advancing the “new era in India-Japan relations” to further cooperate for peace, stability and prosperity of Indo-Pacific.
Based on their shared vision, the two Prime Ministers reiterated their unwavering commitment to working together towards a free and open Indo-Pacific. They also affirmed that ASEAN unity and centrality are at the heart of the Indo-Pacific concept, which is inclusive and open to all. They shared willingness to expand concrete cooperation with the US and other partners.
The two Prime Ministers welcomed the progress made for the development of India’s North Eastern Region through the India-Japan Act East Forum by identifying and implementing projects for enhancing connectivity, sustainable forest and ecological management, disaster risk reduction and people-to-people exchanges. They also highlighted the importance of development of smart islands in India.
PM Modi expressed his appreciation for the significant contribution of Japan’s ODA to the socio-economic development of India. Prime Minister Abe expressed Japan’s intention to continue to support India’s efforts for social and industrial development, including through key quality infrastructure projects and capacity building. The two leaders reviewed with satisfaction the progress made including the signing of the Exchange of Notes for yen loan, on the Mumbai-Ahmedabad High Speed Rail project, which is an important symbol of India-Japan collaboration marked by the 75th anniversary of India’s independence.
They also welcomed the continued cooperation on Metro Projects which support smarter development of Indian cities. India further appreciated Japan’s role in promoting connectivity through quality infrastructure projects such as the Western Dedicated Freight Corridor and the Delhi-Mumbai Industrial Corridor. The two leaders shared the intention to further augment cooperation in skill development by expanding the scope and number of Japan-India Institutes for Manufacturing (JIMs) as well as the Japanese Endowed Courses (JEC) in various Indian states.
They reaffirmed their desire to further deepen bilateral security and defence cooperation and institute Foreign and Defence Ministerial Dialogue (2+2), in addition to existing mechanisms, including the Annual Defence Ministerial Dialogue, Defence Policy Dialogue, the National Security Advisers’ Dialogue, Staff-level Dialogue of each service, according to a PIB release.