PM Modi to Visit Tokyo to Attend State Funeral of Shinzo Abe

Prime Minister Narendra Modi will leave for Tokyo on Monday night to go to the state funeral of former Japanese PM Shinzo Abe, planned for Tuesday. During his visit to the country, PM Modi will likewise hold a bilateral meeting with Fumio Kishida, a statement by the external affairs ministry said.

“A champion of India-Japan friendship and a personal friend of PM Modi, PM Abe will always be remembered as one of our own,” representative of the external affairs ministry Arindam Bagchi said on Twitter while uncovering PM Modi’s schedule.

Foreign secretary Vinay Kwatra affirmed something similar at a special briefing earlier in the day. He said that relevant people involved from the two sides (India and Japan) will be accessible and partake in these conversations.

“It will take into account, a quick overview analysis of the overall relationship, its current status, its trajectory, its progress, and the measures that both nations take it further. It will reaffirm our continued commitment and strong efforts that stakeholders on both sides continue to make – to promote and progress this relationship,” Kwatra added.

The foreign secretary expressed that the absolute duration of PM Modi’s visit to Japan is somewhere in the range of 12 and 16 hours, and precluded questions on bilateral meetings other than the one with Kishida. It is to be noticed that Quad chiefs will be available at the state funeral of Abe.

“During this visit, PM Modi will have the opportunity to participate with representatives of 100 other countries, as I said, along with 20 Heads of States and Governments to participate in the state funeral. Also, along with that, PM Modi will have the opportunity to meet…Mrs. Abe to convey his condolences in person to the country, to the leadership,” he added.

PM Modi and Abe had fostered an individual bond through their meetings and connections traversing more than 10 years, which started with the Indian PM’s visit to Japan in 2007 when he was the chief minister of Gujarat. The two chiefs raised the ties between India and Japan to Extraordinary Vital and Worldwide Association status in 2014.

Abe was killed on July 8 in the city of Nara during a campaign discourse. His funeral will be the second state occasion for a former Japanese prime minister since WWII. Almost 20,000 cops will be conveyed for the occasion, higher than 18,000 staff who were sent at the hour of Quad culmination in May.