Prime Minister Narendra Modi will leave for Tokyo on Monday, where he will attend the state funeral of former Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe.
The funeral will take place on Tuesday and is expected to be attended by representatives from around a hundred countries. Abe was assassinated while making a campaign speech on July 8, 2022.
"I am travelling to Tokyo tonight to participate in the State Funeral of former PM Shinzo Abe, a dear friend and a great champion of India-Japan friendship," PM Modi tweeted ahead of his visit, where he will also meet his Japanese counterpart Fumio Kishida and Abe's wife.
The PM said that he will be conveying heartfelt condolences to Japanese PM Kishida and Mrs Abe on behalf of all Indians.
"I will be conveying heartfelt condolences to Prime Minister Kishida and Mrs Abe on behalf of all Indians. We will continue working to further strengthen India-Japan relations as envisioned by Abe San," he tweeted.
Hours ahead of PM Modi's visit to Japan, foreign secretary Vinay Kwatra said this trip is an opportunity for PM Modi to honour the memory of his dear friend and the champion of the India-Japan ties.
The foreign secretary added that Modi will further hold a bilateral meeting with Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida and also meet Abe’s wife.
Shinzo Abe, the former prime minister of Japan and a serving member of the House of Representatives, was assassinated on 8 July 2022 while speaking at a political event outside Yamato-Saidaiji Station in Nara City, Nara Prefecture, Japan.
(with agency inputs)
