India and Japan will reaffirm their shared commitment to peace, prosperity, and stability in the Indo-Pacific region during Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to Japan later this week, Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri said on Tuesday.
Prime Minister Modi will travel to Japan from August 29–30 to attend the 15th India-Japan Annual Summit at the invitation of his Japanese counterpart, Shigeru Ishiba. This will be Modi’s first standalone summit with Ishiba and his eighth visit to Japan.
Briefing the media on the Prime Minister’s visits to Japan and China, Misri said, “Prime Minister Modi is embarking on an official visit to Japan on the evening of August 28. He will hold the 15th India-Japan Annual Summit with Prime Minister Ishiba. This is a significant visit for several reasons. It marks Prime Minister Modi’s first annual summit with Prime Minister Ishiba.”
According to the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA), the annual summit represents the highest-level dialogue mechanism between the two countries and sets the agenda for the India-Japan Special Strategic and Global Partnership. Modi and Ishiba had previously met on the sidelines of ASEAN and G7 Summits.
“India and Japan share values, trust, and a strategic outlook on several issues. They are two of Asia’s leading democracies and among the top five world economies. Our bilateral relations have expanded steadily over the last decade and now cover trade and investment, defence and security, technology and innovation, and people-to-people exchanges, along with discussions on regional and global challenges,” Misri said.
He added that the 15th summit will provide an opportunity to review progress across sectors and exchange views on pressing regional and international issues. Engagement between Indian states and Japanese prefectures, which has deepened in recent years, will also feature in the discussions.
“Overall, the visit will consolidate our long-standing friendship, open new avenues of cooperation, and reaffirm our shared commitment to peace, prosperity, and stability in the Indo-Pacific and beyond,” Misri noted.
Following his Japan visit, Prime Minister Modi will proceed to China from August 31 to September 1 to attend the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) Summit in Tianjin.
–IANS
