NEW DELHI -- Prime Minister Narendra Modi left for Japan today on a three-day visit to attend the annual summit meeting with Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and have an audience with the Emperor of Japan in Tokyo tomorrow.
In a statement issued before his departure for Tokyo, the Prime Minister said he and his Japanese counterpart would be travelling to Kobe by the famed Shinkansen bullet train, the technology that will be deployed for the Mumbai-Ahmedabad high speed railway. He also said that he will be visiting the Kawasaki Heavy Industries facility in Kobe, where the high speed trains are manufactured.
The Prime Minister said high speed railway cooperation between the two countries is a shining example of the strength of bilateral cooperation.
He said, it will not only boost trade and investment ties, but also create skilled jobs in India, improve infrastructure and give a boost to Make in India mission.
The summit will be an occasion for the Prime Minister to review the entire spectrum of bilateral cooperation with his Japanese counterpart in Tokyo tomorrow.
Prime Minister Modi will also have a detailed interaction with top business leaders from India and Japan, to look for ways to further strengthen our trade and investment ties.
The two sides are likely to sign several agreements, including on civil nuclear cooperation. Both leaders are also likely to discuss defence cooperation, including joint maritime exercises between Japan, India and the US.
The South China Sea is also likely to figure in the talks.
During Prime Minister Modi's visit to Japan in 2014, the India-Japan relationship was upgraded to Special Strategic and Global Partnership.
In the New Delhi summit of 2015, India and Japan outlined a Vision of Working Together for Peace and Prosperity in the Indo-Pacific Region and the World.
PM Modi Is A Serial Hugger (l
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Open Image ModalIndia's Prime Minister Narendra Modi (L) embraces British Prime Minister David Cameron (R). (credit:JUSTIN TALLIS via Getty Images)
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Open Image ModalFile photo of PM Modi (R) with Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe. (credit:TORU YAMANAKA via Getty Images)
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Open Image ModalNarendra Modi and Mark Zuckerberg, chief executive officer of Facebook Inc. (credit:Bloomberg via Getty Images)
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Open Image ModalIndian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, left and French President Francois Hollande greet each other at the Rock Garden in Chandigarh. (credit:ASSOCIATED PRESS)
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Open Image ModalPresident Barack Obama embraces Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi as he arrives with first lady Michelle Obama on Air Force One at Air Force Station Palam, in Palam. (credit:ASSOCIATED PRESS)
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Open Image ModalUS President Barack Obama and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi hug. (credit:ASSOCIATED PRESS)
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Open Image Modal"I feel my friendship with @TonyAbbottMHR will further strengthen India-Australia ties in the years to come." (credit:Twitter/@narendramodi)
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Open Image ModalFile photo of Narendra Modi and Lal Krishna Advani. (credit:ASSOCIATED PRESS)
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Open Image ModalModi and Malaysia's Prime Minister Najib Razak embrace as they take part in a group photo during the ASEAN plus India meeting. (credit:MANAN VATSYAYANA via Getty Images)
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Open Image ModalRussian Russian President Vladimir Putin (L), Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi (C), and South African President Jacob Zuma (R) pose for the photo session during the 6th BRICS Summit in Fortaleza, Brazil, on July 15, 2014. (credit:YASUYOSHI CHIBA via Getty Images)
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Open Image ModalFile photo of Narendra Modi and Lal Krishna Advani. (credit:ASSOCIATED PRESS)
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Open Image ModalFile photo of Modi and Yoga guru Baba Ramdev. (credit:Mint via Getty Images)
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Open Image ModalIndian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, left, is hugged by his Australian counterpart Tony Abbott during a reception at the Melbourne Cricket Ground in Melbourne. (credit:ASSOCIATED PRESS)
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Open Image ModalPM Modi with a BJP leader. (credit:ASSOCIATED PRESS)
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Open Image ModalPrime Minister Narendra Modi with Bhutanese Prime Minister Tshering Tobgay. (credit:STR via Getty Images)
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Open Image ModalPakistan Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif (L) shakes hands with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi (R) at Allama Iqbal International Airport in Lahore, Pakistan. (credit:Anadolu Agency via Getty Images)