India is currently chairing the G20, while Japan is chairing the G7
This is the perfect opportunity for India and Japan to work together on their respective priorities during their G20 and G7 presidencies, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said after meeting his Japanese counterpart Fumio Kishida in New Delhi on Monday. Prime Minister Kishida, on the other hand, described India as an indispensable partner and expressed the hope that both the countries could come together and work to being about peace and prosperity to the international community. Prime Minister Modi and PM Kishida held wide-ranging talks to discuss the strengthening of bilateral relations between their countries during the latter's two-day visit to India. "We exchanged views on Defence Equipment and Technology collaboration, Trade, Health, and Digital partnership. We also had a fruitful discussion on the importance of reliable supply chains in semiconductor and other critical technologies," Prime Minister Modi said during the Joint Media Statement at New Delhi's Hyderabad House. "Last year, we had set a target of Japanese investment of 5 trillion yen in India in the next 5 years, that is, three lakh twenty thousand crore rupees. It is a matter of satisfaction that there has been good progress in this direction," Prime Minister Modi added. 'PERFECT OPPORTUNITY TO WORK TOGETHER' Addressing the media, PM Modi said that the meeting was special as India is currently chairing the G20, while Japan is chairing the G7. "And therefore, this is the perfect opportunity to work together on our respective priorities and interests," he remarked. He said that he explained the priorities of India's G20 Presidency in detail to Prime Minister Kishida. "Giving voice to the priorities of Global South is an important pillar of our G20 Presidency. We have taken this initiative because we are a culture that believes in "Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam", and in taking everyone along," Prime Minister Modi noted. During their meeting, Japanese Prime Minister Kishida invited Prime Minister Modi to attend the G7 Leaders' Summit which is to be held in Hiroshima in May. At the same time, Prime Minister Modi invited Prime Minister Kishida to India for the G20 Leaders' Summit in September. Prime Minister Modi thanked his Japanese counterpart for inviting him to the G7 Summit. "A few months later in September, I will have the opportunity to welcome Prime Minister Kishida to India again for the G20 Leaders' Summit," he said. Japan is the current chair of G7, which also includes the US, Canada, France, Germany, Italy and the UK as its members. India assumed the Presidency of the G20 in December 2022. The India-Japan Special Strategic and Global Partnership is based on our shared democratic values, and respect for the rule of law in the international arena, Prime Minister Modi said. He pointed out that strengthening this partnership is not only important for both the countries, it also promotes peace, prosperity and stability in the Indo-Pacific region. TECHNOLOGY AND INDUSTRIAL PARTNERSHIP The two Prime Ministers emphasized their desire for India-Japan ties to continue to develop and their commitment to keeping the momentum of collaboration between the two nations going. Prime Minister Modi recalled that the two sides had set up the India-Japan Industrial Competitiveness Partnership in 2019. Under this, competitiveness was being increasd in areas of Indian industry such as logistics, food processing, MSME, textiles, machinery and steel. He said the two leaders expressed happiness over the activeness of this partnership. "We are also progressing fast on the Mumbai-Ahmedabad High Speed Rail. I am also happy that we are celebrating 2023 as the Year of the Tourism Exchange. And for this we have chosen the theme 'Connecting Himalayas with Mount Fuji'," he added. "Prime Minister Kishida and I have met several times in the last one year. And each time, I have felt his positivity and commitment towards India-Japan relations. And therefore, his visit today will be very useful to maintain the momentum of our cooperation," Prime Minister Modi told the media. "I will visit #India and meet with Prime Minister Modi. This year, Japan will chair the G7 and India will chair the G20. I would like to exchange views on the role that our two countries should play in resolving the mountain of international challenges, and to further strengthen our "Special Strategic Global Partnership", Prime Minister Kishida had tweeted in Japanese ahead of his visit to India. "In addition, during my stay in India, I will announce a new plan on #Free and Open Indo-Pacific (FOIP). We will present concrete ideas about the future of FOIP at this historical turning point," he added.