Manmohan Singh to meet Japanese leadership ahead of bilateral summit with PM Shinzo Abe

Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh will be meeting the Japanese leadership on Tuesday ahead of his bilateral summit meeting with Prime Minister Shinzo Abe.

The summit level discussions between Dr. Singh and Prime Minister Abe are scheduled to take place on Wednesday.

Japan's Foreign Minister Fumio Kishida and Economy, Trade and Industry Minister Toshimitsu Motegi will call on Prime Minister Singh later today.

Dr. Singh, who arrived here on Monday evening on a three-day visit to Japan, said there is enough scope for further strengthening the ties between New Delhi and Tokyo.

"India and Japan have a social and strategic relationship in all areas. There is enough scope for further cementing our ties," Dr. Singh told mediapersons on his arrival here.

Dr. Singh earlier said that he proposed to invigorate India's relations with Japan in the political, security and energy spheres.

"I propose to invigorate our relations with Japan in the political, security and energy spheres. We will explore ways to harness the full potential of our Comprehensive Economic Cooperation Partnership by intensifying and balancing our two-way trade and investment linkages," said Dr. Singh prior to his departure to Japan.

"The visit will also allow the two governments to take stock of the progress in flagship projects in our partnership, like the Western Dedicated Freight Corridor and the Delhi-Mumbai Industrial Corridor, and to facilitate bilateral engagement for meaningful and mutually beneficial association," he added.

Asserting that Japan is a key regional and global partner for India, Dr. Singh said: "My visit to Japan is for the Annual Summit between our two countries, which got deferred last year due to impending general elections there. There is a growing congruence in our interests and I see this relationship as an essential component of our vision for enduring stability and prosperity in Asia."

Calling Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe his "good friend", Dr. Singh said that he "will build on the momentum imparted by successive summits to the India-Japan Strategic and Global Partnership".

"I also hope to exchange views with Prime Minister Abe on important regional and global developments of shared interest," Dr. Singh said.

"As on every previous visit to Japan, I look forward to a gracious audience with Their Majesties the Emperor and the Empress of Japan. I will also have an opportunity to interact with leaders across the entire political spectrum in Japan, captains of Japanese business and industry and friends of India from all walks of life in Japan," he added. .