Prime Minister Modi warmly welcomed his arrival in Japan

TOKYO: Prime Minister Narendra Modi said on Saturday that his meeting with his Japanese counterpart Shinzo Abe would strengthen the strong friendship that united the two countries as he ran for the 13th annual India-Japan summit.

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

PM Narendra Modi arrives in Tokyo to warmly welcome his fifth annual summit with Abe Shinzo.Japan is one of the few countries where India has this mechanism of annual summits, reflecting the extraordinary depth of our commitment, "spokesman for the Ministry of External Affairs, Raveesh Kumar tweeted.

"Landed in Tokyo, I am convinced that this visit will strengthen the strong friendship between India and Japan," Modi said in a tweet.

In a statement Friday, before leaving for Japan, Modi described India and Japan as a "winning combination" and said that the island was New Delhi's most reliable partner in its modernization economic and technological.

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 engage with Abe on various issues, including defense and regional security.

Abe will host Modi at his holiday home in the scenic Yamanashi Prefecture for a private Sunday dinner, 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).

On Sunday afternoon, Prime Minister Modi will join his Japanese counterpart for an informal lunch at a hotel. The two leaders will then visit a company that is a leading manufacturer in industrial automation.

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

The visit of the Prime Minister should reaffirm the traditional ties of friendship that unite 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 Modi program, which is the largest health insurance program of its kind in the world, and the Japanese program. called Asia for health and well-being.

In his statement, the Prime Minister said that projects such as the Mumbai-Ahmedabad high-speed train and the dedicated freight corridors reflected the high level and "strength of our economic commitment".

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

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