Bilateral ties, Indo-Pacific, Ukraine to be discussed during Japan PM’s visit

Tokyo/New Delhi, March 18 (UNI) Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida will discuss the Japan-India bilateral partnership, taking forward the vision of a free Indo-Pacific, as well as the Ukraine situation during his meeting with PM Narendra Modi in New Delhi tomorrow.
Japanese Chief Cabinet Secretary Hirokazu Matsuno, in his media briefing today, said that PM Kishida will be travelling to India and Cambodia from March 19-21.
PM Kishida arrives in India on Saturday afternoon for the annual bilateral summit with PM Modi in the evening.
This is the first prime ministerial visit by Japan to India in four and a half years, said the Chief Cabinet Secretary.
“He will discuss international and regional affairs as well as the bilateral relationship. They will address a broad range of topics,” Matsuno said.
The summit meeting comes as the two countries celebrate the 70th anniversary since the establishment of diplomatic ties.
“And we have this Special Strategic and Global Partnership (with India) and we want to develop the partnership further so that the two countries and also through the Quad can reflect fast efforts to achieve a free Indo Pacific,” he said.
PM Kishida “will also discuss the Ukrainian situation with the two countries and various measures”, he added.
The Japanese Cabinet Secretary also announced the decision by his government to accept fleeing Ukrainian people even if they do not have a relation or acquaintance to act as guarantor. Japan will offer the fleeing Ukrainians all necessary assistance, he added.
The Summit will provide an opportunity for both leaders to review and strengthen the bilateral cooperation in diverse areas as well as exchange views on regional and global issues of mutual interest so as to advance their Partnership for peace, stability and prosperity in the Indo-Pacific region and beyond, an official statement said earlier.
The two sides had held their last summit meeting on September 23 in Washington, on the sidelines of the Quad summit.
PM Modi and then Japanese PM Yoshihide Suga had held the summit meeting, in what was their first in-person meeting.
PM Kishida leaves on Sunday morning for the Cambodia leg of his trip.