National flags at half mast as nation mourns former Japanese PM Shinzo Abe

Former Japanese PM Shinzo Abe was assassinated on Friday. He succumbed to his injuries after he was shot during a campaign speech Friday in western Japan.

New Delhi:The national flags at the Red Fort, Rashtrapati Bhavan and the Parliament are being flown at half-mast on Saturday as one-day state mourning is being observed in the country as a mark of respect to former Japanese PM Shinzo Abe. Abe was assassinated on Friday. He succumbed to his injuries after he was shot during a campaign speech Friday in western Japan.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday condoled the death of Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and declared one-day of national mourning on July 9, 2022. "Mr. Abe made an immense contribution to elevating India-Japan relations to the level of a Special Strategic and Global Partnership. Today, whole India mourns with Japan and we stand in solidarity with our Japanese brothers and sisters in this difficult moment," he tweeted.

Narendra Modi also recalled his friendship with the deceased Shinzo Abe and described him as an outstanding leader of Japan. He mentioned that it was his privilege to work with him to bring about unprecedented transformation of the strategic partnership between India and Japan. From a largely narrow, bilateral economic relationship, Abe San helped to turn the relationship between the two nations into a broad, comprehensive one.

"For him, this was one of the most consequential relationships between the people of our two countries and the world. He was resolute in pursuing the civil nuclear agreement with India – a most difficult one for his country – and decisive in offering the most generous terms for the High-Speed Rail in India. As in most important milestones in independent India’s journey, he ensured that Japan is there side by side as New India accelerates its growth," Modi said.

Abe, in his seminal speech to the Indian Parliament in 2007, laid the ground for the emergence of the Indo-Pacific region as a contemporary political, strategic and economic reality. The Quad, the ASEAN-led forums, the Indo Pacific Oceans Initiative, the Asia-Africa Growth Corridor, and the Coalition for Disaster Resilient Infrastructure all benefited from his contributions, Modi added.