PM Takaichi Planning to Visit India in July

Tokyo, June 4 (Jiji Press)–Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi is planning to make her first visit to India as early as July to meet with her Indian counterpart, Narendra Modi, it was learned Thursday. Through the visit, which would be part of so-called shuttle diplomacy, or reciprocal summit-level visits, Takaichi hopes to reaffirm the two countries’ economic and economic security cooperation, in light of the need to counter China, informed sources said. As China’s growing military and economic presence poses a common challenge for Japan and India, Takaichi and Modi are expected to discuss their responses to China. At a press conference on Thursday, Chief Cabinet Secretary Minoru Kihara said that the prime minister’s visit to India has not been decided, while noting that India is an important partner in realizing a free and open Indo-Pacific. The government will assess the feasibility of Takaichi’s visit while monitoring the Diet situation ahead of the July 17 end of the current session. In 2006, the Japanese and Indian governments agreed to begin shuttle diplomacy. Last August, Modi visited Japan and met with then Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba. They agreed to revise the two countries’ Joint Declaration on Security Cooperation and establish a bilateral economic security initiative. “We hope to strengthen Japan-India relations by making shuttle diplomacy take root,” a Japanese Foreign Ministry official said. END [Copyright The Jiji Press, Ltd.]