Look forward to strengthening ties in Indo-Pacific: Modi

NEW DELHI, Oct 8: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday spoke with new Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida, and said he looks forward to working with him to further strengthen the bilateral strategic and global partnership, and enhance cooperation in the Indo-Pacific region.
Spoke with H.E. Fumio Kishida to congratulate him for assuming charge as the Prime Minister of Japan. I look forward to working with him to further strengthen India-Japan Special Strategic and Global Partnership and to enhance cooperation in the Indo-Pacific region, he tweeted.
This was their first phone call since Kishida took over as the new Japanese Prime Minister on October 4. Kishida, 62, who was earlier the country’s Foreign and Defence Minister, represents Hiroshima in the House of Representatives.
Prime Minister Modi had met the previous Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga in Washington last month, for the Quad summit and for a bilateral meeting.
Suga had announced he would be stepping down. In 2014, during a summit meeting between Prime Minister Modi and then Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, the two agreed to upgrade the bilateral relationship to a Special Strategic and Global Partnership.
The following year, during another summit the two leaders agreed to transform the Japan-India Special Strategic and Global Partnership into a deep, broad-based and action-oriented partnership. (PTI)
They announced the “Japan and India Vision 2025 Special Strategic and Global Partnership Working Together for Peace and Prosperity of the Indo-Pacific Region and the World a joint statement that would serve as a guide post for the new era in Japan-India relations. (UNI)