PM Modi meets Japanese counterpart Kishida in Hiroshima, discusses ways to enhance ties

Hiroshima: Prime Minister Narendra Modi met his Japanese counterpart Fumio Kishida in Hiroshima on Saturday and discussed ways to enhance “India-Japan friendship across different sectors including trade, economy and culture.”

PM Modi is attending the G7 Summit under the Japanese Presidency at the invitation of PM Fumio Kishida.

“PM @narendramodimet PM @kishida230 in Hiroshima. Both leaders discussed ways to enhance India-Japan friendship across different sectors including trade, economy and culture,” the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) said in a tweet

“I want to thank you for inviting India to the G7 Summit. Your (PM Kishida) visit to India was a memorable one. It is a delightful moment for me as the Bodhi tree I gifted you have been planted by you in Hiroshima, I believe India-Japan relations will grow with the growth of this tree,” PM Modi said in Hiroshima as he congratulated Kishida on the successful presidency of G7.

The G7 leaders are currently in Japan to attend the G7 Summit scheduled to be held in Hiroshima from May 19-21. Notably, Japan assumed the G7 Presidency in 2023.

#WATCH | Prime Minister Narendra Modi holds a bilateral meeting with the Republic of Korea’s President Yoon Suk Yeol in Hiroshima, Japan. pic.twitter.com/nTPc0Oi6do

— ANI (@ANI) May 20, 2023

The Summit is an international forum held annually for the leaders of the G7 member states of France, the United States, the United Kingdom, Germany, Japan, Italy, and Canada (in order of rotating presidency), and the European Union (EU).

Prime Minister Narendra Modi who arrived in Hiroshima, Japan to attend the G7 Summit, on Friday, interacted with members of the Indian diaspora here.

Members of the Indian diaspora in Japan gathered at a hotel in Hiroshima. They cheered “Bharat Mata ki Jai” and “Vande Mataram”. They also raised slogans hailing PM Modi.

Hiroshima is the first leg of PM Modi’s three-nation visit during which he will also visit Papua New Guinea and Australia.

India has been invited as a guest country for the G7 summit. The broad terms of the G7 summit preferences regarding their outreach with the invited guest countries are nuclear disarmament, economic resilience and economic security, regional issues, climate and energy and food and health and development.

The Prime Minister is also scheduled to unveil a bust of Mahatma Gandhi in Hiroshima.

Notably, the G7 grouping comprises Japan, Italy, Canada, France, the US, the UK and Germany. Japan under its G7 Presidency has invited leaders from Australia, Brazil, Comoros, Cook Islands, India, Indonesia, South Korea and Vietnam.

Meanwhile, the White House on Friday (local time) agreed to hold the Quad summit in Japan’s Hiroshima on Saturday.

“After President Biden had to postpone his trip to Australia, the Quad leaders agreed that they would hold their summit in Hiroshima to ensure that the four leaders could come together to mark the Quad’s progress over the past year. So tomorrow, in addition to the G7, President Biden will participate in the third in-person Quad Leaders’ meeting with Prime Minister Anthony Albanese of Australia, Prime Minister Kishida Fumio of Japan, and Prime Minister Narendra Modi of India,” read a statement by White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre.

Earlier this week, the planned summit of Quad leaders from the US, India, Australia, and Japan in Sydney was cancelled after Biden withdrew from his visit due to ongoing debt limit talks in Washington.