The Foreign Minister of Japan, Mr. Fumio Kishida, called on Prime Minister Narendra Modi today. Referring to his close personal friendship with the Prime Minister of Japan, Mr. Shinzo Abe, Prime Minister Modi reiterated that India-Japan relationship is close to his heart and he attaches the highest importance to it. He conveyed his congratulations to Prime Minister Shinzo Abe on his recent victory in the general elections in Japan. Prime Minister Modi recalled his successful visit to Japan in September 2014 and his meeting with Prime Minister Shinzo Abe on the sidelines of G-20 Summit in Brisbane in November 2014, and said that he looked forward to strengthening the bilateral relationship in the years to come. Highlighting the growing business opportunities in India, and referring to the increasing number of Japanese business operating in India, Prime Minister Modi expressed his strong support for closer economic ties with Japan. He referred to the successful operationalization of "Japan Plus" mechanism to facilitate Japanese businesses in India as a symbol of the importance India attaches to relations with Japan. He also welcomed the progress in key areas of bilateral cooperation since his visit to Japan.
