Strategic Indo-Jap partnership on cards

Abe begins a two-day visit on Wednesday, during which he and PM Modi will hold the 12th India-Japan annual summit in Gandhinagar in Gujarat. The summit takes place amid rising tension in the region following the nuclear test by North Korea and growing Chinese assertiveness in the South China Sea. This will be the fourth annual summit between PM Modi and Abe. 

“The two leaders will review the recent progress in the multifaceted cooperation between India and Japan under the framework of their ‘Special Strategic and Global Partnership’ and will set its future direction,” MEA said in a statement. India-Japan ties are on an upswing in a range of areas, including defence and security. 

In their annual defence dialogue last week, the two countries had resolved to collaborate closely in defence production, including on dual-use technologies. Prime Minister Modi had visited Japan in November last year. Both side had decided to ramp up bilateral defence and security cooperation during the visit

In a first, Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his Japanese counterpart Shinzo Abe would take part in a road show in Ahmedabad in Gujarat on September 13 when the latter begins his visit. The eight-km-long road show would start from the Ahmedabad airport and culminate at the Sabarmati Ashram, according to the BJP. 

Abe will arrive here on Wednesday on a two-day India visit during which he and Modi will hold the 12th India-Japan annual summit here. “This is for the first time in the country when our Prime Minister along with the prime minister of another country is doing a joint road show. The Japanese PM is landing here directly on September 13. This makes the occasion more important, as he is visiting a state on the very first day of his India visit,” Gujarat BJP unit president Jitubhai Vaghani told reporters on Monday. He said the leaders will be given a “grand welcome” along the route of the road show.