Abe backs Modi's efforts to press G20 nations on fugitive economic offenders issue

Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe on Thursday backed his Indian counterpart Narendra Modi, who is pressing the G20 members that they should deal with the issue of fugitive economic offenders as part of the powerful grouping's anti-corruption measures.

Ahead of the G20 summit on Friday here, Modi held wide ranging talks with Abe on the global economy, issues of fugitive economic offenders and disaster management.

Briefing reporters on the Modi-Abe meeting, Foreign Secretary Vijay Gokhale said, "Prime Minister Abe initially began with the expectations from the G20 meeting, he spoke about the importance of focusing on the global economy, he referred specifically to Prime Minister's initiative at earlier G20 meetings on the issue of fugitive economic offenders and he said that the G20 should deal with this problem as part of the anti-corruption measures."