Modi holds wide-ranging talks with Abe

Prime Minister Narendra Modi today held wide-ranging talks with his Japanese counterpart Shinzo Abe here, aimed at giving a fillip to the bilateral strategic relations.
"Reviewing the strength of a Special Strategic and Global Partnership. PM @narendramodi and PM @AbeShinzo lead delegation level talks," External Affairs Ministry spokesman Vikas Swarup tweeted along with a picture of the meeting.
Ahead of the talks, Modi was accorded a guard of honour at Kantei, the Japanese Prime Minister's official residence.
"The ceremonies that strengthen a time tested friendship. PM @narendramodi receives formal honours at Kantei," Swarup tweeted along with some photographs of the occasion.

After his arrival in Japan yesterday, Modi tweeted that he was looking forward to fruitful deliberations that will boost economic and cultural ties between India and Japan.
At their annual Summit, Modi and Abe will discuss ways to enhance ties in a broad range of areas, including security, trade and investment, skill development and infrastructure development.

After the Summit talks, about 12 pacts will be signed by the two sides, sources said, adding these would cover areas like skill development, cultural exchanges and infrastructure.
Also, a civil nuclear deal is likely to be signed today.
The two sides had sealed a broad agreement during Abe's visit to India last December but the final deal was yet to be signed as certain technical and legal issues were to be thrashed out.

Both the countries have completed the internal procedures including legal and technical aspects of the text of the pact, Swarup said last week. When specifically asked whether the pact will be signed during Modi's visit, he only said, "I cannot pre-judge outcome of the talks."
Negotiations for the nuclear deal between the two sides have been going on for a number of years but the progress on these was halted because of political resistance in Japan after the 2011 disaster at the Fukushima Nuclear Power Plant.