Tokyo: Japan on Saturday announced an investment target of five trillion yen (Rs 3,20,000 crore) in India in the next five years following talks between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his Japanese counterpart Fumio Kishida. The two sides inked six agreements providing for the expansion of bilateral cooperation in a range of areas, besides firming a separate clean energy partnership.
At a joint media briefing, Modi said deepening India-Japan ties will not only benefit the two countries but will also help in encouraging peace, prosperity and stability in the Indo-Pacific region. Kishida said the situation in Ukraine following the Russian invasion figured in the talks and described Moscow's actions against the eastern European country as a serious matter that has shaken the basis of international norms. Unilateral attempts to change the status quo using force should not be allowed, he said. Modi said India and Japan understand the importance of a secure, trusted, predictable and stable energy supply and that both sides are determined to expand overall cooperation.
The Japanese Prime Minister arrived in New Delhi on Saturday for the 14th India-Japan Annual Summit. PM Kishida, who is on his first bilateral foreign visit after assuming office, was received by Minister of Railway Ashwini Vaishnav. "Japanese PM @kishida230 arrives in New Delhi for the 14th India-Japan Annual Summit. He was received by Minister @RailMinIndia @AshwiniVaishnaw. This is PM Kishida’s first bilateral foreign visit after assuming office", MEA spokesperson Arindam Bagchi tweeted.
Also read: Japan PM Fumio Kishida begins 2-day India visit from today for 14th annual summit
India represents the first leg of Kishida's three-day tour. He is scheduled to visit Cambodia on Sunday to meet with Prime Minister Hun Sen. Japan and India are party to the Quadrilateral Security Dialogue, a security framework known as the Quad that includes the US and Australia. Cambodia serves as this year's chair of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations. This is Kishida's first overseas trip as prime minister since he traveled to Great Britain in November. Kishida, 64, is the president of the Liberal Democratic Party since 2021.
(With agency inputs)
