Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his Japanese PM Fumio Kishida on Monday visited Buddha Jayanti Park in Delhi. Both the nation heads shared some light moments and relished popular Indian dish Golgappa at the part.
PM Modi gifts Buddha artwork to Kishida
PM Modi gifted a sandalwood Buddha statue encased in a 'kadamwood jali box' to his Japanese counterpart Fumio Kishida who is in India on a state visit, officials said.
The artwork is associated with the rich heritage of Karnataka. Officials said the art of sandalwood carving is an exquisite and ancient craft that has been practiced in the southern Indian state for centuries, and this craft involves carving intricate designs into blocks of fragrant sandalwood, creating intricate sculptures, figurines and other decorative items.
Prime Minister Modi has made it a point to present gifts reflecting the cultural and artistic riches of different states and regions of India to foreign dignitaries.
India, Japan resolve to boost cooperation in Indo-Pacific
The India-Japan global partnership is based on shared democratic values and respect for the rule of law and promotes peace and stability in the Indo-Pacific, PM Modi said after holding wide-ranging talks with his Japanese counterpart Fumio Kishida.
The two prime ministers largely focused on significantly boosting cooperation in areas of clean energy, semiconductors and co-development of military hardware besides exploring ways to deal with regional security challenges amidst the increasing assertiveness of China.
During the talks, Modi conveyed to Kishida that one of the areas of very strong cooperation between India and Japan could be co-innovation, co-design co-creation in the defence manufacturing sector, officials said.
G20 at centre of talk
Modi and Kishida also vowed to work together to deal with pressing global challenges under India's presidency of the G20 and Japan's chairship of the G7 grouping.
Kishida, who was in India for just about 27 hours, said he invited Modi to the G-7 summit in Hiroshima in May, and the offer was immediately accepted.
300 billion yen loan bor bullet train
On the sidelines of the talks, a note was exchanged between the two sides concerning the provision of the fourth tranche of a Japanese loan of up to 300 billion yen (around Rs 18,000 crore) for the Mumbai-Ahmedabad high-speed rail.
"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," Modi said in his media statement.
"Strengthening this partnership is not only important for both our countries, but it also promotes peace, prosperity and stability in the Indo-Pacific region. In our conversation today, we have reviewed the progress made in our bilateral relations," he added.
The Japanese prime minister arrived in Delhi this morning on a brief visit amid global geopolitical turmoil over the Ukraine conflict and increasing concerns over China's aggressive behaviour in the Indo-Pacific.
Modi said he and Kishida exchanged views on defence equipment and technology collaboration, trade, health, and digital partnership.
There was also a fruitful discussion on the importance of reliable supply chains in semiconductors and other critical technologies, he said.
"Last year, we had set a target of Japanese investment of 5 trillion yen in India in the next 5 years, that is, Rs 3,20,000 crore rupees. It is a matter of satisfaction that there has been good progress in this direction," Modi said.
Modi said "fast" progress is being made on the Mumbai-Ahmedabad high-speed rail project.
(With PTI input)
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