People of India remember Abe San very much: PM Modi in Tokyo

PM Narendra Modi Tuesday attended the state funeral of former Prime Minister of Japan Shinzo Abe in Tokyo. He also met current Japan PM Fumio Kishida and expressed confidence that under his leadership bilateral relations will deepen further.

New Delhi:Prime Minister Narendra Modi Tuesday said that the friendship of India and Japan played a major role in creating a global impact and the people of India "remember Abe San very much, remember Japan very much". PM Modi said so while attending the state funeral for the former Prime Minister of Japan.

"India is always missing him in a way," said Modi as he paid his respects to Shinzo Abe during the State Funeral at Nippon Budokan in Tokyo on Tuesday. "We are meeting today in this hour of grief. After arriving in Japan today, I am feeling more saddened. Because the last time I came, I had a very long conversation with Abe San. And never thought that after leaving, I would have to hear such news," said PM Modi.

Later, the PM tweeted: "When I was in Tokyo earlier this year, little did I imagine I would be back for the solemn programme of former PM Abe’s state funeral. He was a great leader, a phenomenal individual and someone who believed in India-Japan friendship. He shall live on in the hearts of millions!".

More than 700 foreign guests, including about 50 current or former state leaders from around the world, flew in for the event. Dignitaries who graced the event include US Vice President Kamala Harris, Singapore's PM Lee Hsien Loong, Vietnamese President Nguyen Xuan Phuc, South Korean Prime Minister Han Duck-soo, Philippines Vice President Sara Duterte-Carpio, Indonesia Vice President Ma'ruf Amin, and European Council President Charles Michel.

Modi expressed confidence that under the leadership of Japan’s Prime Minister Fumio Kishida, the bilateral relations will deepen further. During the meeting, both leaders discussed various bilateral subjects. "Along with Abe San, you in the role of Foreign Minister have taken the India-Japan relationship to new heights and also expanded it further in many areas. And our friendship, the friendship of India and Japan, also played a major role in creating a global impact," he said.

"And I firmly believe that we will be able to play an appropriate role in finding solutions to the problems of the world", he added. Abe was shot dead while making a campaign speech on July 8 in the southern Japanese city of Nara, while India had observed one-day national mourning on July 9 as a mark of respect for him.

The former prime minister reshaped Japan's foreign policy, including setting out a bold vision for a quantum leap in ties with India. In the "Confluence of Two Seas" speech, Abe told Indian lawmakers that the India-Japan relationship is blessed with the largest potential for the development of bilateral relationships anywhere in the world.