Tokyo, August 31 Prime Minister Narendra Modi arrived here today for summit talks with his Japanese counterpart Shinzo Abe after completing the first leg of his visit to the former imperial capital Kyoto.

During his three-day stay in Tokyo, Modi will hold talks with Abe to bolster bilateral security and economic ties. The two leaders will have a substantive summit meeting to look at ways to take the Strategic and Global Partnership forward.

Modi hopes the trip will “write a new chapter” in bilateral ties and take the Strategic and Global Partnership to a higher level.

Besides agreements in defence and civil nuclear sectors, one on joint production of rare earth materials is also expected.

In his pre-departure statement, Modi said that his first bilateral visit outside the immediate neighbourhood underlines “the high priority” that Japan receives in India’s foreign and economic policies. “It is also a reflection of Japan’s paramount importance in my vision for development and prosperity in India and in peace, stability and prosperity in Asia at large.”

Kyoto-Kashi pact

During his two-day stay in Kyoto, Modi witnessed the signing of a pact under which his constituency, Varanasi, will be developed as a ‘smart city’ in partnership with the Japanese city, which is a confluence of heritage and modernity.

Abe had specially come to Kyoto from Tokyo to meet Modi and be with him. The Japanese Prime Minister rarely greets a foreign leader outside the national capital.

On the second day of his Japan tour, Modi offered prayers at two prominent ancient Buddhist temples in Kyoto and sought help from a Japanese Nobel Prize-winning stem cell researcher to develop a treatment for the Sickle Cell Anaemia, the deadly disease commonly found among tribal people in India.

Modi began his day with a visit to the ancient Toji Temple, which is inspired by the trinity of Brahma, Vishnu, Mahesh of Hindu philosophy. He was accompanied by Abe when he went around the famous temple which is a UNESCO world heritage site.

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