PM Modi to attend former Japanese PM Shinzo Abe's state funeral on Sept 27

Tribune News Service

New Delhi, August 24

Prime Minister Narendra Modi will be among the foreign dignitaries who will attend the state funeral of former Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe on September 27 in Tokyo, Japanese government officials said on Wednesday.

2+2 security talks likely next month

• India and Japan are planning the second round of two-plus-two security talks on Sept 8 in Tokyo
• Japanese Foreign Minister and Defence Minister will engage their Indian counterparts S Jaishankar and Rajnath Singh

Other world figures expected to attend are former US President Barack Obama, French President Emmanuel Macron, former German Chancellor Angela Merkel and US Vice-President Kamala Harris, reported the Japanese media. The plan for a state funeral was criticised by Japanese opposition parties and civic groups as it may lead to forced condolences for Abe. Bowing partly to those concerns, Tokyo has said there will be no obligation to participate in a national display of grief.

It is unprecedented for the PM to visit a nation twice in four months. PM Modi had last visited Japan in May for the Quad summit. But PM Modi had a close relationship with Abe who had accompanied him for a roadshow in Ahmedabad before the last Gujarat state elections in 2017. Abe had also twice participated in Ganga Arti at Varanasi, where the evening prayers after he was killed were dedicated to his memory.

The PM will also meet the current Prime Minister Fumio Kishida during the visit.

Meanwhile, India and Japan are planning to hold a second round of two-plus-two security talks involving their foreign and defence ministers on September 8 in Tokyo. At the planned ministerial talks, Japanese Foreign Minister Yoshimasa Hayashi and Defence Minister Yasukazu Hamada will engage their Indian counterparts S Jaishankar and Rajnath Singh, reported Japanese media.

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