Japanese Prime Minister Fushio Kishida will be taking part in the 14th India-Japan Annual Summit during his two-day trip to India from 19-21 March. This will be Kishida’s first visit to India since assuming office as the Japanese PM. Kishida will also be holding bilateral talks with Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The venue of the summit alternates between the two countries every year. The last edition of the summit had taken place in Tokyo in 2018 while Shinzo Abe was the Prime Minister of Japan.
Kishida’s visit to India holds much significance as this time the bilateral meeting will take place in the backdrop of a major conflict in the form of the Russia-Ukraine war. Major oil-consuming countries are keeping a close watch on the impact of the Ukrainian crisis on oil prices.
India and Japan are cooperating as partners in multiple areas within the ambit of their “Special Strategic and Global Partnership”. These areas include skill development, technology sharing, cultural exchange, infrastructure development and investments under FDI. The summit will also provide a platform to both countries for discussion 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.
A decision was also taken in the 2017 Summit to establish the “India-Japan Act East Forum”. The objective is to coordinate developmental projects in Northeastern parts of India in areas of connectivity, forest management, disaster risk reduction and capacity building. Several projects, including the up-gradation of highways in Meghalaya, Tripura and Mizoram are underway.
