Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi was accorded a ceremonial Guard of Honour at the forecourt of Rashtrapati Bhavan in New Delhi on Thursday as she began her three-day visit to India.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi warmly received Takaichi at Rashtrapati Bhavan ahead of the 16th India-Japan Annual Summit, during which the two leaders are expected to review and strengthen the full spectrum of bilateral cooperation as well as exchange views on regional and global issues of mutual interest.
Takaichi arrived in New Delhi on Wednesday evening on her first official visit to India after assuming office. She was received at Palam airport by Union Minister of State for Science and Technology Dr. Jitendra Singh.
Welcoming the Japanese Prime Minister, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said in a post on X, “A very warm welcome to Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi of Japan, who arrives in New Delhi on an Official Visit. PM Takaichi was received by MoS Dr. Jitendra Singh. The visit marks an important step in taking forward the Special Strategic and Global Partnership between India and Japan.”
Japan also expressed appreciation for the warm reception, with the Japanese Cabinet Public Relations Office posting on X, “Our heartfelt thanks for your warm welcome. We are very much excited to be visiting India!”
PM Modi also welcomed Takaichi on his arrival in India. “A very warm welcome to India, Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi. We are delighted to host you on your first visit to India and I look forward to our wide-ranging discussions tomorrow that will further deepen the India-Japan Special Strategic and Global Partnership,” he said in a post on X.
Prior to departing from Tokyo, Takaichi underlined the growing importance of cooperation with India amid an increasingly uncertain global environment.
“Through this visit, I hope to advance concrete cooperation with Prime Minister Modi in three key areas: deepening the Japan-India strategic partnership in light of the current international situation; promoting cooperation in economic security; and strengthening collaboration between businesses of our two countries toward investment and innovation,” she said.
She also announced that the Japan-India Economic Forum, to be held during her visit, would bring together representatives from more than 150 Japanese companies and business organisations.
“Working together with the private sector, I hope to broaden the scope of Japan-India cooperation and realise a strong economy,” Takaichi said.
Emphasising the strategic dimension of bilateral ties, the Japanese Prime Minister said India and Japan, as leading democracies in Asia, share responsibility for maintaining peace and stability in the Indo-Pacific region.
“India, along with Japan, is one of Asia’s leading democracies and shares responsibility to maintain peace and stability in the Indo-Pacific region. Against this backdrop, I look forward to having thorough discussions with Prime Minister Modi on efforts to realise a Free and Open Indo-Pacific (FOIP), including cooperation through the Quad framework. Finally, as this visit is being made at the invitation of Prime Minister Modi, I also hope it will provide an opportunity to further deepen the personal trust between us,” she said.
Japanese Deputy Chief Cabinet Secretary Masanao Ozaki, who accompanied Takaichi to New Delhi, said more than 150 companies would participate in the Japan-India Economic Forum, adding that the event would further strengthen government-to-government cooperation in areas such as security and economic security.
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