PM Modi credits mature leadership for good Indo-Japan relations

Prime Minister Narendra Modi today said that it was the maturity in the leadership of both India and Japan that had contributed to the development of good relations between the two nations.

"I was told that the Indo-Japan relation is 110-years-old; in today's world even a family doesn't stay together for 100 years. It must be the maturity in leaderships that contributed to this. We are now working as special strategic and global partners and this happened for two reasons; our 110-year-old relation and the unwritten spiritual partnership," said Prime Minister Modi, while addressing the Japan-India Association and Japan-India Parliamentary Friendship League as part of his bilateral visit to the Japan.

"The credit for the good relationship between India and Japan does not go to the governments of the two nations alone, but also the people of both the countries. I am grateful to the people who have worked towards improving the relations between India and Japan," he added.

He further said that India will be glad to invite parliamentarians from Japan to visit various parts of the country.

"India will be glad to invite parliamentarians to visit not just Delhi but other various parts also. We have some ideas for parliamentary association, and the youngest parliamentarians of both the nations can meet for exchange of ideas," Prime Minister Modi said.

He also stated that he felt a sense of belonging whenever he visited Japan and met people there.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi will meet the Emperor Akihito at the Imperial Palace later today. Afterwards, he will also be inaugurating the Vivekananda Cultural Centre at the Indian embassy before concluding his bilateral tour.

He had also met the Governor of Aichi Prefecture of Japan, Hideaki Ohmura and the Chairman of the Nippon Foundation, Yohei Sasakawa earlier today.