Modi’s Op-Ed On India-Japan Ties, Carried In Japanese Language; Check Here

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New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who on Monday arrived in Japan on a two-day visit to attend the Quad summit, wrote an opinion-editorial (op-ed) which was carried in Japanese language in one of Japan’s leading newspapers.

In the op-ed, Modi wrote about the “special, strategic and global” relationship between Japan and India.

India and Japan will contribute towards building an open, free and inclusive Indo-Pacific region, connected by secure seas, integrated by trade and investment, defined by respect for sovereignty and territorial integrity and anchored in international law, Modi wrote.

From Bodhisena to Swami Vivekananda, India-Japan cultural ties have a long and rich history of mutual respect and learning from one another, he said in the op-ed.

Among Mahatma Gandhi’s cherished personal possessions were small statues of Mizaru, Kikazaru and Iwazaru, the Three Wise Monkeys, he wrote.

Justice Radha Binod Pal is a well-known name in Japan, and Gurudev Rabindranath Tagore’s admiration for Japan and interaction with Okakura Tenshin were instrumental in forging early connections between artistes and intellectuals on both sides, he said.

“These deep links laid a strong foundation for a modern India-Japan partnership that continues to blossom even as we celebrate the 70th anniversary of the establishment of formal diplomatic ties,” he said.

“We have traversed a long distance since we established diplomatic relations in 1952. In my view, though, the best is yet to come. Today, as both India and Japan look to re-invigorate and refashion our economies in a post-Covid era, there is immense scope to deepen our engagement across the entire spectrum from trade and investment to defence and security,” Modi said.