New Delhi: Former Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe passed away today, hours after being shot by a gunman from behind, while he was giving speech at campaigning event. The tragic loss of veteran Japanese leader has shaken the world.
Mourning the demise of close friend and former Japanese PM, who persistently worked to strengthen the strategic ties between the two nations, PM Modi announced a day-long national mourning as a mark of respect for the veteran Japanese leader.
“Our thoughts and prayers are with him, his family, and the people of Japan. Today, whole India mourns with Japan and we stand in solidarity with our Japanese brothers and sisters in this difficult moment,” PM Modi said in a tweet.
Sharing a picture from my most recent meeting with my dear friend, Shinzo Abe in Tokyo. Always passionate about strengthening India-Japan ties, he had just taken over as the Chairman of the Japan-India Association. pic.twitter.com/Mw2nR1bIGz
— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) July 8, 2022
In a series of tweets, the Prime Minister also shared a recent photo of his meeting with former Japanese premiere and said that Abe was always passionate about strengthening Indo-Japan ties.
Modi-Abe bonhomie in Varanasi hogged headlines
While Shinzo Abe is no more, here we take a look back at PM Modi’s excellent rapport & friendship with the former Japanese premiere.
PM Modi & Shinzo Abe shared close ties and a very warm friendship and the latter even went on record to say that ‘Narendra Modi was his most dependable friend’.
The personal bonhomie between the two leaders also helped bolster the India-Japan ties and take it to another level.
The two state heads made global headlines when they visited Varanasi, PM Modi’s Lok Sabha constituency and Japan promised its assistance in developing Kashi on lines of Kyoto. During Abe’s 2015 visit to India, PM Modi took him to Varanasi to witness the Ganga Aarti.
Just 2 years after that, Shinze Abe landed in Ahmedabad to lay the foundation for India’s first bullet train.
When PM Modi visited Japan, the latter reciprocated and extended rousing reception for ‘most dependable friend’. Abe hosted PM Modi at his holiday home, when the latter visited Tokyo for India-Japan annual Summit.
It was under Shinzo Abe that Japan diluted its restrictions over India’s civilian nuclear program. During PM Modi’s 2014 visit, the deal couldn’t be signed. It was Abe who convinced anti-nuclear hawks in Japan about India’s commitment to peace. The nuclear pact with Japan was signed in 2016, paving the way for signing of deal.
