Prime Minister Narendra Modi invited the outgoing Japanese PM Shinzo Abe and his wife Akie Abe to visit India at their leisure during a telephonic conversation. Abe decided to resign last month, citing ill health. They expressed confidence that the impetus gained by the India-Japan in the last few years shall continue "unabated" in the future.
PM Modi tweeted, "Made a phone call to my dear friend @AbeShinzo to wish him good health and happiness. I deeply cherish our long association. His leadership and commitment have been vital in taking India-Japan friendship to new heights. I am sure this momentum will continue in the coming years."
During the weekly MEA briefing, External Affairs Ministry spokesperson Anurag Srivastava said the two leaders exchanged greetings and reminisced their memories at Varanasi, Sabarmati, Kobe and Kyoto. Not only did the two leaders talk at length about their memories from their previous visits, they also took stock of the ongoing Mumbai-Ahmedabad High-Speed Rail (MAHSR) project, under the framework of the India-Japan special strategic and global partnership.
This telephonic conversation between Modi and Abe happened hours after New Delhi and Tokyo inked a significant defence supplies agreement between the Indian Armed Forces and the Self-Defense Forces of Japan. As per an MEA statement, the two leaders welcomed the signing of this agreement and "concurred that the agreement will further enhance the depth of defence cooperation between the two countries and contribute to peace and security in the Indo-Pacific region".
The two heads of states agreed that the strong partnership between India and Japan will play an important role in deciding the course for the global community in the post-COVID environment.
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