India News | Japanese PM Begins India Visit

New Delhi, Mar 19 (PTI) Japan's Prime Minister Fumio Kishida arrived here on Saturday on his first visit to India as the head of the Japanese government.

The Japanese leader, accompanied by a high-level delegation, was received at the airport by Union Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw.

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Kishida is in India to participate in the 14th India-Japan annual summit.

The Japanese prime minister arrived in New Delhi at around 3:40 pm and is scheduled to depart at 8 am on Sunday. Kishida is travelling to Cambodia after concluding his India visit.

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The previous India-Japan annual summit took place in Tokyo in October 2018.

Besides key bilateral issues, the situation in Ukraine is also likely to figure in the Modi-Kishida talks.

Before departing for India, Kishida said that Russia's invasion of Ukraine is unacceptable and such actions should never be allowed in the Indo-Pacific region.

The Japanese PM said he will exchange views on the situation in Ukraine with leaders of India and Cambodia.

"The summit will provide an opportunity for both sides to review and strengthen the bilateral cooperation in diverse areas as well as exchange views on regional and global issues of mutual interest so as to advance their partnership for peace, stability and prosperity in the Indo-Pacific region and beyond," the Ministry of External Affairs said on Thursday.

Prime Minister Modi had spoken to PM Kishida on phone in October 2021 soon after he assumed office. Both sides expressed a desire to further strengthen the special strategic and global partnership.

This year also marks the 70th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between the two countries.

The annual summit between Prime Minister Modi and his then Japanese counterpart Shinzo Abe was cancelled in December 2019 in Guwahati in the wake of massive protests rocking the Assam capital over the amended citizenship law.

The summit could not be held in 2020 as well as in 2021 primarily due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

(The above story is verified and authored by Press Trust of India (PTI) staff. PTI, India’s premier news agency, employs more than 400 journalists and 500 stringers to cover almost every district and small town in India.. The views appearing in the above post do not reflect the opinions of LatestLY)