On October 28, 2018, Prime Minister Narendra Modi started his 2-day official visit to Japan. PM reached Tokyo and was received by Japan PM Shinzo Abe on his arrival at the Hotel Mount Fuji in Yamanashi prefecture, west of Tokyo.
i. He attended the 2-day 13th India-Japan Annual Summit.
ii. This will be the fifth Annual Summit meeting between Prime Minister Modi and the Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and their twelfth meeting overall since 2014.
iii. Both the prime ministers visited the FANUC industrial facility, one of the largest makers of industrial robots in the world in Yamanashi.
iv. India will now have a 2+2 dialogue with Japan after US. “Japan agreed for a 2+2 dialogue between our Foreign Ministers and Defence Ministers. The aim of this is to further work towards world peace & stability”.
v. PM Modi was invited to join PM Abe to home in the village of Narusawa for the first time.
vi. Prime Minister Narendra Modi gifted PM Abe:
- Handcrafted stone bowls crafted by master artisan Shabbirhusen Ibrahimbhai Shaikh of Gujarat’s Khambhat region and
- Dhurries made from rose quartz and yellow quartz stone sourced from Rajasthan, hand-woven by the master weavers of Mirzapur in Uttar Pradesh.
- A Jodhpuri wooden chest from Rajasthan with traditional work.
13th India-Japan Summit Highlights:
On October 29, 2018, PM Modi, along with his Japanese counterpart Shinzo Abe, attended 13th Annual Bilateral Summit at the Japanese Prime Minister’s Office in Tokyo.
After the summit the two sides exchanged 32 MoUs.
- India and Japan sign $75 billion currency swap agreement. The agreement will help bring greater stability to foreign exchange and capital markets.
- Enhancing communication and connectivity, trade and flow of people, technology and ideas,
- Cooperation for peace, stability and prosperity of Indo-Pacific.
- Establishing the “Platform for Japan-India Business Cooperation in Asia-Africa Region”for exchanges between Japanese and Indian businesses.
- Development of India’s North Eastern Region through the India-Japan Act East Forum through connectivity, sustainable forest and ecological management, disaster risk reduction and people-to-people exchanges.
- Development of smart islands in India.
- Expansion of Japan’s Foreign Direct Investment in India under the “India-Japan Investment Promotion Partnership”and the progress made in Japan Industrial Townships (JIT).
- Launching of a comprehensive India-Japan Digital Partnership to develop IoT and AI solutions for societal benefits by utilizing the “Japan-India Start-Up Hub” in Bengaluru and NASSCOM’s IT corridor project in Hiroshima Prefecture.
- Linking of Japan’s Asia Health and Well-being Initiative (AHWIN) with India’s healthcare initiatives such as Ayushman Bharat.
- Memorandum of Cooperation (MoC) between India’s Ministry of AYUSH (Ayurveda, Yoga and Naturopathy, Unani, Siddha and Homoeopathy) and the Kanagawa Prefectural Government.
- Bilateral cooperation in agriculture, food processing and forestry among various public and private stakeholders.
- Collaborative launch of the Japanese Language Teachers’ Training Centre in India.
- Signing of the Implementing Arrangement for deeper cooperation between the Indian Navy and the Japan Maritime Self-Defence Force (JMSDF).
- Collaborative efforts to cooperate on US-2 amphibian aircraft.
- Commitment to the full implementation of the relevant United Nations Security Council resolutions(UNSCRs).
- To continue working together for India’s membership of the Nuclear Suppliers Group.
- Japan announced joining the International Solar Alliance (ISA).It will be the 71st country to sign and 48th country to ratify the ISA FA(ISA Framework Agreement).
- Exchange of Notes concerning theProvision of 7 Yen loan projects (total loan provision of up to 316.458 billion yen). Check the link to view 32 MoU’s list- http://pib.nic.in/newsite/PrintRelease.aspx?relid=184459
Address at “Make in India: India-Japan Partnership in Africa & Digital Partnership”:
On October 29, 2018, PM Modi addressed “Make in India: India-Japan Partnership in Africa & Digital Partnership” in Tokyo.
- Large numbers of business leaders from Japan and India. CEOs, Kedaindern , JETRO , NIKKI, CII and NASCOM were present.
- He emphasized India’s standing on improving ease of doing business, and ease of living for the citizens.
- Acknowledged Japan’s contribution as a partner in many important industrial projects in India.
Other News:
- The India-Japan Special Strategic and Global Partnership, aims at achieving peace, prosperity and progress for the 2 countries.
- PM Modi interacted with top business leaders from India and Japan at Business Leaders Forum.
- On the 75th anniversary of India’s independence, India and Japan had signed the Exchange of Notes for yen loan, on the Mumbai-Ahmedabad High Speed Rail project.
About Japan:
- Capital:” Tokyo (Largest city in Japan)
- National language: Japanese
- Religion: 51.8% Shinto & 34.9% Buddhism
- Prime Minister: Shinzō Abe
- Population: 126,440,000(2018 census)
- Currency: JapaneseYen
- Japan Mean “Sun Origin” or “Land of the Rising Sun”.
