PM Modi speaks to new Japanese PM Fumio Kishida, talks on potential in high tech areas

New Delhi/Tokyo, Oct 8 (UNI) Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday spoke on phone with new Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida and conveyed his congratulations and best wishes on assuming charge of his office.

This was their first phone call since Kishida took over as the new Japanese Prime Minister on October 4.
Both leaders expressed satisfaction at the rapid progress in the Special Strategic and Global Partnership between India and Japan, and agreed on the potential to further enhance cooperation in a variety of areas, including in high-technology and futuristic sectors. Prime Minister invited Japanese companies to benefit from India’s economic reforms through greater investment, an official statement said.

The leaders also discussed the increasing alignment of perspectives, and robust cooperation, between India and Japan in the Indo-Pacific region. They reviewed the progress of cooperation under the Quad framework in this regard.

Prime Minister invited PM Kishida to visit India at his earliest convenience for a bilateral Summit meeting, the statement said.

In a tweet, Prime Minister Modi said he looks forward to working with his Japanese counterpart to further strengthen the bilateral strategic and global partnership, and enhance cooperation in the Indo-Pacific region.

“Spoke with H.E. Fumio Kishida to congratulate him for assuming charge as the Prime Minister of Japan. I look forward to working with him to further strengthen India-Japan Special Strategic and Global Partnership and to enhance cooperation in the Indo-Pacific region,” he tweeted. The Japanese Foreign Ministry, in a readout of the talks, said the summit telephone talk with Prime Minister Modi, lasted for approximately 25 minutes.

“The two leaders concurred to further develop Japan-India relations and to work closely toward the realization of a “Free and Open Indo-Pacific.” “Looking ahead to the 70th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between Japan and India next year, the two leaders decided to elevate the “Japan-India Special Strategic and Global Partnership” to greater heights by promoting cooperation in a wide range of areas, including political and security issues, economy, economic cooperation as well as people-to-people exchanges.

Both decided to coordinate to hold the next round of Japan-India Foreign and Defense Ministerial Meeting at an early date, promote cooperation in areas such as green technology, digital, healthcare, enhancing connectivity and personnel exchanges under the system of Specified Skilled Worker, and steadily advance the construction of the Mumbai-Ahmedabad High Speed Rail, which is a Japan-India flagship project.

“The two leaders affirmed to work toward the realisation of a “Free and Open Indo-Pacific” not only through bilateral cooperation but also through quadrilateral cooperation involving Australia and the U.S.

“In this connection, both leaders shared their strong opposition to any unilateral attempt to change the status quo by force and to economic coercion, while confirming that the two countries would deepen cooperation on economic security such as through resilience of supply chains,” in a tacit reference to China’s hegemonistic assertions in the South China Sea and Sea of Japan, also known as East Sea.

They also discussed North Korea’s nuclear and ballistic missile issues, and Prime Minister Kishida requested understanding and support towards the early resolution of the abductions issue. This was in reference to North Korea having kidnapped many Japanese in the 1970s and 1980s to train as spies.

“The two leaders also shared the view to work together on global challenges such as response to COVID-19. The two leaders decided to realize Prime Minister Kishida’s visit to India at an appropriate timing that is convenient for both sides,” it said.
Kishida, 62, was earlier the country’s Foreign and Defence Minister. Prime Minister Modi had met the previous Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga in Washington last month, for the Quad summit and for a bilateral meeting.