Gujarat: Ahmedabad gears up to welcome Japan's PM Shinzo Abe

Ahmedabad (Gujarat) [India], Sept 12 (ANI): Gujarat's Ahmedabad city is all set to welcome Japan's Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, who will be on a two-day visit to India, beginning on Wednesday.

"Ahmedabad gears up to welcome Japan's Prime Minister Shinzo Abe. PM @AbeShinzo and I will attend a wide range of programmes on 13th and 14th September 2017, aimed at further boosting India-Japan ties," Prime Minister Modi tweeted.

"PM @AbeShinzo & I will attend the programme to mark the start of work of India's first high-speed rail project between Ahmedabad & Mumbai. I also look forward to visiting the Sabarmati Ashram & the 'Sidi Saiyyid Ni Jaali' with PM @AbeShinzo during his India visit," Prime Minister Modi said in a series of tweets, adding that India truly values the relationship with Japan and looks forward to further boosting our bilateral ties in a wide range of sectors.

During the visit, both leaders will address the 12th India-Japan Annual Summit in Gujarat's Ahmedabad and Gandhinagar.

This will be the fourth annual summit that Prime Minister Modi and Shinzo Abe would address together.

The two leaders will review the recent progress in the multi-faceted cooperation between India and Japan under the framework of their 'Special Strategic and Global Partnership' and will set its future direction.

They will also attend a public function to mark the commencement of work of India's first high-speed rail project between Ahmedabad and Mumbai, on Friday. The train is expected to significantly reduce travel time between the two cities.

Japan is a pioneer in high-speed rail networks, and its Shinkansen bullet trainis among the fastest in the world.

The city of Ahmedabad will greet Prime Minister Abe with an elaborate civic reception on 13th of September, showcasing the cultural diversity of India, through a series of performances.

The two Prime Ministers will visit Sabarmati Ashram, established by Mahatma Gandhi on the banks of the Sabarmati River. They will then visit the "Sidi Saiyyid Ni Jaali" - a famous 16th century mosque in Ahmedabad. The two leaders will also visit Dandi Kutir, the museum dedicated to Mahatma Gandhi, at the Mahatma Mandir.

Earlier Japan's Ambassador to India, Kenji Hiramatsu, had said that the relationship between India and Japan is at its best ever, and that New Delhi is a key partner to carry out Prime Minister Shinzo Abe's free and open Indo-Pacific strategy.

"The India-Japan relationship is at its best ever. India is a key partner to carry out Prime Minister Abe's free and open Indo-Pacific strategy. In this age of vulnerability, we cherish the relationship between the two countries. It's a partnership between the oldest and the largest democracies," Hiramatsu said, while addressing the India-Japan Colloquium session in New Delhi.

"Prime Minister Abe's free and open Indo-Pacific strategy is also intent of Japan to play a larger role in the Indian Ocean under the banner of pro-active contribution to peace," he added.

Hiramatsu further said, "We are living in a world that is becoming increasingly vulnerable and unpredictable, with outstanding issues like North Korea. But India and Japan and their partnership provide a certainty in the region and beyond."

Indian Foreign Secretary S. Jaishankar had recently asserted that Japan can make a substantial difference to India's nuclear industry.

Speaking at the India-Japan Colloquium session, Jaishankar stressed as to how cooperation and civil nuclear defence will be two key components of the future for both India and Japan.

"The difference that Japan can make to our nuclear industry can be quite substantial. Japan's openness to supply India with military technology also reflects the high level of confidence between the two countries," he said.

The Foreign Secretary also spoke about a number of infrastructural and economic projects which both the countries are planning to undertake. (ANI)