Former Japanese PMs Suga, Kishida meet PM Modi, discuss bilateral ties

Former Japanese prime ministers Yoshihide Suga and Fumio Kishida called on Prime Minister Narendra Modi here on Friday and discussed bilateral ties.

Modi, who arrived in Tokyo this morning, is on a two-day visit to Japan to hold summit talks with his Japanese counterpart Shigeru Ishiba, with an aim to further expand overall bilateral ties.

Modi in a social media post said he had a "wonderful meeting" with Kishida.

"He has always been a great advocate of closer India-Japan relations. We discussed the progress in our bilateral partnership across trade, critical technologies and human resource mobility. We also discussed the vast potential in emerging areas such as technology and semiconductors," Modi said.

"Both sides discussed the progress in India-Japan ties and the potential of taking forward India-Japan partnership for mutual progress and prosperity," the Ministry of External Affairs said in a post on X.

Modi also posted about his meeting with Suga, who is the Chairman of the Japan-India Association, and said they spoke about the many "dimensions of India-Japan cooperation".

"Our discussions covered how to build closer collaboration, including in technology, AI, trade, investment and beyond," he wrote.

Modi also appreciated the role played by the Japan-India Association in fostering friendship and business linkages between the two countries, the Ministry of External Affairs said.

Modi also met with Fukushiro Nukaga, Speaker of the House of Representatives of Japan.

During the meeting, the two leaders discussed the "strong and friendly relations" between India and Japan.

Earlier in an address at a business forum, Modi said India and Japan will together shape the Asian century for stability, growth and prosperity.

After concluding his Japan trip, Modi will travel to China on a two-day visit to attend the annual summit of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation in Tianjin on August 31 and September 1.