Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday discussed with his Japanese counterpart Yoshihide Suga cooperation in diverse areas, including high technology, skill development and in fighting the Covid-19 pandemic together.
In a telephonic conversation, the two leaders reviewed the progress in various ongoing bilateral initiatives. They discussed the Covid-19 situation in their respective countries and exchanged views on various regional and global challenges posed by the pandemic.
Just had a phone call with @narendramodi. We confirmed that we will work in close collaboration to contain the COVID-19 pandemic and had fruitful discussions on regional issues and Japan-India cooperation in order to realize a Free and Open Indo-Pacific.— 菅 義偉 (@sugawitter) April 26, 2021
The two leaders also highlighted the importance of close India-Japan cooperation to overcome these challenges, such as by working together to create resilient, diversified and trustworthy supply chains, ensuring a reliable supply of critical materials and technologies, and developing new partnerships in manufacturing and skill development.
In this context, the two leaders emphasised the need for early operationalisation of the Specified Skilled workers (SSW) agreement in order to synergize their strengths and achieve mutually beneficial outcomes. They also highlighted the Mumbai-Ahmedabad High Speed Rail (MAHSR) project as a shining example of their cooperation and welcomed steady progress in its execution.
The two leaders appreciated the support and facilitation provided to resident citizens in each other’s country during the pandemic and agreed to continue such coordination.
Prime Minister Modi also thanked Prime Minister Suga for providing assistance to India to combat the pandemic. He also expressed hope that he would be able to receive Prime Minister Suga in India at the earliest in the near future once the Covid-19 situation stabilizes.
“Spoke to PM @sugawitter of Japan on phone. We reviewed the progress in various ongoing bilateral initiatives. We also discussed our cooperation in diverse areas including high technology, skill development and in fighting the COVID-19 pandemic together," Modi tweeted.
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