Prime Minister Narendra Modi meets his Japanese counterpart Shinzo Abe

YAMANASHI: Prime Minister Narendra Modi met his Japanese counterpart Shinzo Abe on Sunday as the two leaders sought to reinvigorate the strong friendship between the two countries.

"Prime Ministers @narendramodi and @AbeShinzo meet in Yamanashi and hold talks throughout the day on strengthening Indo-Japanese relations," Prime Minister Modi's office tweeted.

Modi, who arrived here last night to attend the 13th annual India-Japan summit, said his meeting with Abe would strengthen the strong friendship between the two countries.

The two-day summit, which begins Sunday, will look at progress in relations and deepen the strategic dimension of bilateral relations.

Abe will hold a lunch for Modi in a tourist complex in Mt. Fuji.

After lunch, they went to a factory of industrial robot manufacturer Fanuc Corp. before going to the Japanese Prime Minister's holiday home nearby.

Abe will host Modi at his vacation home in the scenic Yamanashi Prefecture, west of Tokyo, for a private dinner on Sunday, after which the two leaders will travel to Tokyo by train. .

Yamanashi, located about 110 km from Tokyo, is surrounded by several mountains, including Mount Fuji – the highest peak in the country – about 3,776 meters.

The two leaders will meet in Tokyo on Monday for an official summit during which the strengthening of bilateral cooperation on security and economic cooperation should feature prominently on the agenda.

Before leaving New Delhi, Modi described India and Japan as a "winning combination" and declared that the island nation was New Delhi's most trusted partner for its economic and technological modernization.

Modi said that he would act from his 12th meeting with Abe since his first visit to Japan as prime minister in September 2014.

During this summit, Modi will hold talks with Abe on various issues, including defense and regional security.

In addition to bilateral issues, the two leaders should consider various regional and global issues, including the situation in the Indo-Pacific region.

It is said that the Prime Minister's visit will reaffirm the traditional ties of friendship between the two countries and strengthen their multifaceted cooperation in various fields.

India also hopes to have some kind of synergy or integration between the Ayushman Bharat program of Modi, which is the largest health insurance program of its kind in the world, and the Japanese program called Asia Health and Wellbeing Initiative.

Prime Minister Modi said that projects such as the Mumbai-Ahmedabad high-speed rail corridor and dedicated freight corridors reflected the high standard and "strength of our economic commitment".

"Japan is also at the forefront of national initiatives such as" Make in India "," Skill India "," Digital India "," Start Up India "… Japanese investors believe in India's economic situation the future, which is marked by a myriad of opportunities, "said Modi.

Modi will also speak to the Indian community in Tokyo, attend a series of business events and address the business forum.