Indian PM to visit Japan

JAPAN: India’s prime minister will visit Tokyo this month, an official said Tuesday, in a trip that had to be scrapped last year after a general election was called in Japan.

Prime Minister Shinzo Abe’s cabinet on Tuesday approved a plan to invite Manmohan Singh for a four-day stay from May 27, top government spokesman Yoshihide Suga told reporters.

“As India is a South Asian power that shares with us values such as freedom, democracy, human rights and rule of law, we aim to expand the partnership by discussing a wide range of issues including politics and the economy,” Suga said.

“The country is also strategically important for Japan as it lies on sea lanes from the Middle East,” where Japan gets much of the oil it imports, he said.

Singh’s trip was originally scheduled for November and was set to include meetings with then Japanese premier Yoshihiko Noda.

It was expected to include the signing of infrastructure projects deals worth $15 billion, according to reports.

However, the tip was postponed after Noda called a general election for December, which ousted him and installed Abe in the top spot.

AFP