Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday remembered late Japanese PM Shinzo Abe as a great leader and someone who believed in the India-Japa friendship. Modi was offering tribute to teh slain leader at the his state funeral that was held in Tokyo.
According to the state media, as many as 100 representatives from various countries were present at the funeral. The leaders included more than 20 heads of state and governments.
Modi, who arrived here early in the morning, joined several global leaders to pay floral tribute to Abe who reshaped Japan's foreign policy, including setting out a bold vision for a quantum leap in ties with India.
"When I was in Tokyo earlier this year, little did I imagine I would be back for the solemn programme of former PM Abe’s state funeral. He was a great leader, a phenomenal individual and someone who believed in India-Japan friendship. He shall live on in the hearts of millions!," Modi tweeted, sharing a photograph of him paying tribute to Abe.
PM Modi conveys heartfelt condolences to Abe's widow
PM Modi also met with Akie Abe, the widow of slain former Japanese prime minister Shinzo Abe, at the Akasaka Palace here and conveyed his heartfelt condolences on the tragic loss.
Modi, who is here to attend the state funeral of the Japanese leader, earlier joined several global leaders to pay floral tribute to Abe who reshaped Japan's foreign policy, including setting out a bold vision for a quantum leap in ties with India.
The Ministry of External Affairs took to Twittter to share that PM Modi met Mrs. Akie Abe, wife of the deceased Japanese Prime Minister after the state funeral.
Earlier, the Ministry of External Affairs tweeted that the prime minister paid his respects to former Japanese premier Abe during the State Funeral at Nippon Budokan in Tokyo. "A tribute to a great visionary and to his immense contribution in the elevation of the India-Japan partnership," it said.
Besides Modi, among the more than 700 foreign guests are US Vice President Kamala Harris and International Olympic Committee President Thomas Bach, Japan's Kyodo news agency reported.
At a park near the funeral venue, large numbers of people gathered to lay flowers at a set of stands from early in the morning, it said. Abe, 67, was shot dead while making a campaign speech on July 8 in the southern Japanese city of Nara.
(With inputs from PTI)
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