All eyes on India-Japan Annual Summit between PM Modi and PM Fumio Kishida

The Summit will provide an opportunity for both sides to review and strengthen bilateral cooperation in diverse areas and exchange views on regional and global issues of mutual interest.

New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi had good personal chemistry with former Japanese PM Shinzo Abe. Now the stage is set for the maiden face-to-face meeting between him and the new Japanese PM Fumio Kishida.

The 14th India-Japan Annual Summit will be held in New Delhi on Saturday, March 19. At the invitation of Mr Modi, Japanese Prime Minister Kishida will be undertaking an official two-day visit to New Delhi beginning March 19 for the Annual Summit.

External Affairs Ministry spokesperson Arindam Bagchi said this would be the first meeting between the two leaders. He said India-Japan have multifaceted cooperation within the ambit of their special strategic global partnership.

The Summit will provide an opportunity for both sides to review and strengthen bilateral cooperation in diverse areas and exchange views on regional and global issues of mutual interest. Both New Delhi and Tokyo will get an opportunity to advance partnership for peace, stability and prosperity in the Indo-Pacific region and beyond.

Of course, the Summit assumes a special significance, as this is being hosted in New Delhi in the wake of emerging, changing global dynamics after the Russian invasion of Ukraine.

Making a clear forward movement from what was once only a desire, on November 12, 2017, at Manila in The Philippines, India, the US, Japan and Australia joined hands to enhance security cooperation in the Indo-Pacific region.

The formation of Quad was given a mega push by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, US President Donald Trump, the then Japanese PM Shinzo Abe and his Australian counterpart Malcolm Turnbull. 

Notably, both China and Russia were not quite pleased with the formation of the Quad.