India has “great expectations” from Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s five-day visit to Japan from Saturday, his first bilateral trip outside the subcontinent.
Underlining the importance of the East Asian region, Mr. Modi’s visit to Japan will be followed by a Vietnam trip by President Pranab Mukherjee in September. External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj just concluded a visit to Vietnam.
External Affairs Ministry spokesman Syed Akbaruddin said Mr. Modi’s engagement with the Japanese leadership would be “not only about bilateral ties.” Enhanced military ties, a deeper strategic engagement, business-to-business ties, Japanese assistance in creating smart cities in India and nuclear issues would all be on the agenda.
Asked why Kyoto had been added to Mr. Modi’s itinerary, Mr. Akbaruddin said the Prime Minister was interested in rejuvenating Indian cities on the lines of Kyoto. Some features of Kyoto could be adopted in Varanasi, the Prime Minister’s Lok Sabha constituency.
Business meetings
Top business leaders, including Mukesh Ambani, Gautam Adani and Kumar Mangalam Birla, will travel separately to Japan in visits timed to coincide with high-level business interactions Mr. Modi will initiate with his Japanese counterpart, Shinzo Abe.
Please Email the Editor