New Delhi: Japan Prime Minister Fumio Kishida will be on a two-day India visit begenning today, March 20, morning that will focus on strengthening the Special Strategic & Global Partnership between India and Japan.

Japanese PM's itinerary includes key talks with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, delivering the 41st Sapru House Lecture on Indo-Pacific, and visiting the Bodhi Tree at New Delhi's Buddha Jayanti Park. the PM is expected to lay out his vision of Indo-Pacific during his lecture. 

With both New Delhi and Tokyo are currently holding the G20 and G7 Presidency, respectively, it is a besty opportunity to engage on a bilateral level since the last Summit meeting between India and Japan took place in March 2022.

At "this historical turning point a new plan on a Free and Open Indo-Pacific will be announced and will provide specific thoughts regarding its future, Jappan PM said. "This year, Japan is the G7 presidency while India is the G20 presidency. We'll discuss how our two nations could contribute to the effort to address the growing international difficulties with Prime Minister Modi." The office of the prime minister also noted, "Moreover, I want to strengthen the India-Japan Special Strategic and Global Partnership. A new plan for the Free and Open Indo-Pacific will also be announced when I'm in India (FOIP). I'll lay out in detail how I think the Free and Open Indo-Pacific, which is experiencing a historic turning point, should develop in the future." the Ministry of External Affairs spokesperson said.
The two nations' cooperation spans a wide range of fields, including trade, investment, S&T, healthcare, education, and crucial and emerging technologies.

Converging interests on significant global concerns, such as food and health security, energy transitions, and economic stability, can be worked on by the two countries during Kishida's visit to India.

Arindam Bagchi, the official spokeswoman for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MEA), stated that Japan is a "very significant partner" and emphasised that India looks forward to the exchange of views.

"The visit of the honourable Prime Minister of Japan, which is on Monday, is something we eagerly anticipate. As you are aware, Japan is a crucial partner for us. This is a component of our yearly summits with them. We anticipate a deep conversation because they are also partners in plurilateral and multilateral constructions. We anticipate the discussion of ideas, "said MEA representative.

An area where the two economies complement one another is the transfer of skilled employees from India to Japan. India and Japan have signed a number of Memorandums of Cooperation to make this possible. While India and Japan engage crucial discussions on a number of topics, including the fast shifting geopolitical landscape in the Indo-Pacific region, Kishida's visit coincides with these discussions.

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