* Modi, Abe launch India’s Ist bullet train project
GANDHINAGAR, Sept 14:
Strongly pitching for a “zero- tolerance” approach towards terrorism, India and Japan today agreed to strengthen cooperation against terror groups like Al-Qaeda and Pakistan-based Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) and Lashkar-e-Toiba (LeT).
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Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his Japanese counterpart Shinzo Abe asked Islamabad to bring to book the perpetrators of terror strikes, including those involved in the Mumbai (2008) and Pathankot (2016) attacks, according to a joint statement issued after their annual summit.
The two leaders also condemned in the “strongest terms” the growing menace of terrorism and violent extremism, it said.
“They shared the view that terrorism in all its forms and manifestations is a global scourge that must be forcefully combated through concerted global action in the spirit of ‘zero tolerance’,” the document said.
The two Prime Ministers called upon all countries to work towards rooting out terrorist safe havens and infrastructure, disrupting terrorist networks and financing channels and halting cross-border movement of terrorists, in an apparent reference to Pakistan.
“They looked forward to the convening of the fifth Japan-India Consultation on Terrorism and to strengthening cooperation against terrorist threats from groups, including Al-Qaeda, ISIS, JeM, LeT and their affiliates,” the statement added.
Modi and Abe called upon all UN member countries to implement UNSC resolution 1267 and other relevant resolutions dealing with the designation of terrorist entities, the statement said.
Earlier, India and Japan today inked 15 agreements to further broad-base their strategic partnership and agreed to strengthen cooperation in the Indo-Pacific region where China is increasing its assertiveness.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his Japanese counterpart Shinzo Abe held wide-ranging talks on key bilateral, regional and international issues and discussed ways to deepen ties in trade, security and civil nuclear energy.
Addressing a joint press event with Abe, Modi said Indo-Japan ties were not limited to bilateral or regional spheres. The two sides also closely cooperated on key global issues.
“The range of special strategic and global partnership is not just limited to bilateral and regional sphere. We have close cooperation on global issues as well,” Modi said.
During the talks between the two leaders, India and Japan inked 15 pacts to give a boost to cooperation in various key sectors, including civil aviation, trade and science and technology.
“We have just signed a joint statement which will serve as a milestone to open a new era for Japan-India relationship… Based on that we will strongly promote Japan- India special strategic and global partnership to drive peace and prosperity for Indo-Pacific region and the whole world,” Abe said.
The visiting leader also referred to the recent Malabar Japan-India-US naval exercise and said cooperation would be further strengthened.
Abe said the two sides had agreed upon a Japan-India investment support road map.
Referring to the Indo-Japan civil nuclear pact, Modi said it would open a new chapter in cooperation in the clean energy sector between the two countries.
“We had signed a historical pact for peaceful use of nuclear energy during my visit to Japan last year. I am whole-heartedly thanking Japan’s parliament, its people and particularly Prime Minister Abe for its ratification,” Modi said.
The nuclear cooperation agreement was signed last November during Modi’s visit to Tokyo. The deal allows Japan to export nuclear technology to India, making it the first non-NPT signatory to have such a deal with Tokyo.
On the bullet train project between Ahmedabad and Mumbai, Modi said, “It is a major step. It is not just the beginning of high-speed rail. I consider this railway philosophy a lifeline (jeevan rekha), considering our future requirements.”
Modi said India Post and Japan Post would start a ‘cool box service’ for Japanese people living in India so they could order their favorite food from Japan.
The Prime Minister also talked about various reform initiatives, including in the areas of taxation, to promote economic growth and asked Japanese companies to take advantage of ease of doing business in India.
He said Japan invested USD 4.7 billion in India in 2016-17 Japan which is 80 per cent higher than last year.
Meanwhile, Modi and Abe launched India’s first bullet train project between Ahmedabad and Mumbai.
Modi described the ambitious Rs 1.10 lakh crore project, which will cut travel time between the two cities from seven hours to less than three, as a “big gift from Japan to India”.
Addressing crowds gathered at the Athletics Stadium in Sabarmati for the event, Abe said the Indo-Japan partnership was special, strategic and global.
“A strong India is in Japan’s interest and a strong Japan is in India’s interest,” Abe said after the two leaders pressed a button, unveiling a plaque.
“My good friend Prime Minister Narendra Modi is a far-sighted leader. He took a decision two years ago to bring high-speed train in India and to create a new India,” he said.
The Japanese Prime Minister added that he hoped to enjoy the “beautiful scenery of India through the windows of the bullet train’ when he returns in a few years.
Congratulating the people of India, Modi said this was a “a bold step towards realising an old dream of a bullet train”.
Lauding Japan, he said the country was such a friend that it gave a loan of Rs 88,000 crore at 0.1 per cent interest for the project.
Modi also took a dig at the opposition which had often sounded sceptical about the bullet train project.
“When earlier I talked about bullet train, they (opposition) used to say it was big talk, and now when it has come they are saying what is the need for it,” Modi said.
“Our stress is now on high-speed connectivity which will improve speed, reduce distance and ensure economic progress,” he added.
In 1964, Modi said, Japan started the bullet train and now this technology was in 15 countries.
“From Europe to China, the bullet train’s image can be seen everywhere. Not just economical but also societal changes have been brought about by these trains,” said Modi.
The train project between Ahmedabad and Mumbai is expected to be completed by 2022. The train would cover the distance of over 500 km in less than three hours.
Japan has extended a soft loan for the ambitious project conceptualised by Modi. The project is a joint venture between Indian Railways and Japan’s Shinkansen Technology.
The Prime Ministers of the two countries also laid the foundation stone for an institute that will come up at Vadodara where around 4,000 people will be trained for the bullet train project.
Railway Minister Piyush Goyal, Gujarat Chief Minister Vijay Rupani and his Maharashtra counterpart Devendra Fadnavis were present on the occasion.
While Abe, who arrived here yesterday on a two-day visit, spoke in Japanese, Modi spoke in Hindi. Abe’s speech was translated into Hindi.
Prime Minister Modi held an eight-kilometre road show with his Japanese counterpart Abe and his wife yesterday, the first such event by the Indian Premier with a visiting head of Government.
The visiting dignitaries and Modi paid homage to Mahatma Gandhi at the Sabarmati Ashram where the Father of the Nation lived for about 12 years.
Abe and Modi yesterday also visited the iconic medieval-era mosque, Sidi Saiyyed, in the city.
The two leaders will today hold the 12th Indo-Japan annual Summit meeting at Gandhinagar. An India-Japan business plenary meeting will be held later in the day. (PTI)
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