Japan's Prime Minister Shinzo Abe arrived in India on Wednesday for a two-day official visit to lay the foundation stone for India's first bullet train between Mumbai and Ahmedabad. He will also take part in the 12th India-Japan Annual Summit at Mahatma Mandir in Gandhinagar on Thursday.
Abe and Prime Minister Narendra Modi will hold a first-of-its-kind roadshow from the Ahmedabad airport to Sabarmati Ashram.
Heavy security arrangements have been put in place for the roadshow. Over 9,000 police personnel have been deployed across Ahmedabad ahead of the visit. Fluorescent lights, hoardings and banners have been put up to give a grand welcome to the two leaders.
Abe's itinerary:
The Japanese PM's two-day itinerary involves cultural programmes, visiting iconic and historic sites and dining on a Gujarati 'thali' among other things. Here is all you need to know:
Abe and his wife Akie, along with PM Modi, will carry out an 8 km roadshow from the Ahmedabad airport to the Sabarmati Ashram on Wednesday. They will be treated to cultural performances on the way. More than 25 stages have been set up along the route for performances by artists from all across India.
After the roadshow, PM Modi and Abe will visit the Sabarmati Ashram, which was home to Mahatma Gandhi from 1917 to 1930.
The leaders will then visit the Sidi Saiyad Mosque, a historic monument from the 16th century known for its stone lattice work. They will also watch a presentation about Ahmedabad— India's first UNESCO World Heritage City.
Both the PMs will then feast on Gujarati 'thali' at the iconic 'Agashiye' restaurant in Ahmedabad.
On Thursday, PM Modi and Abe will lay the foundation stone for India's first bullet train between Ahmedabad and Mumbai, also called the Mumbai-Ahmedabad High-Speed Rail Project.
The leaders will then participate in the 12th India-Japan Annual Summit at Mahatma Mandir in Gandhinagar, where as many as 15 agreements will be signed, the Times of India reported.
Both leaders will also hold an India-Japan business plenary meeting later on Thursday.
Agenda of visit:
Japan has expressed its willingness to increase partnership with India on projects like 'Make in India', 'Skill India' and 'Clean Ganga Mission'. Japan also wishes to expand developmental cooperation to Northeast India.
Expanding Japanese aid to India in areas like environment protection, sewage building and forest protection is also a prime area of focus. India would also stand to benefit from the technology Japan has to offer in different sectors.
Both Japan and India will work towards enhancing cooperation on the international level in the Asian and African countries with a focus on infrastructure.
Efforts are under way by both countries to increase cooperation on a joint defence production. Japan is an important strategic and military partner for India.
An agreement between the Japan International Cooperation Agency and the Gujarat Maritime Board for developing the Alang shipbuilding yard is likely to be signed between both countries on Thursday. Both countries will also cooperate on building two industrial parks in the state.
15 Japanese companies want to invest in the development of Gujarat and will be signing agreements with the state government, Gujarat Chief Secretary JN Singh was quoted by HT as saying.
