Skip to content
Search AI Powered

Latest Stories

Modi, Abe discuss global economy, fugitive economic offenders

INDIAN prime minister Narendra Modi today (27) held wide-ranging talks with his Japanese counterpart Shinzo Abe on the global economy, issues of fugitive economic offenders, and disaster management.

It was the first meeting between the two leaders since the start of Japan’s Reiwa era and Modi’s re-election after the general polls.


Modi thanked Abe for his warm welcome to him and the Indian delegation visiting Japan for the G20 Summit. He also appreciated Japan’s leadership as the G20 chairman.

Briefing media, Indian foreign secretary Vijay Gokhale said it was a ‘warm’ meeting the two prime ministers who are ‘old friends’ and they had a “very constructive and detailed discussion” on the bilateral relationship.

“Abe initially began discussion with his expectation from the G20 Summit. They spoke about the importance of focussing on global economy,” Gokhale said.

Japanese prime minister referred to the prime minister Modi’s initiatives on the earlier G20 meetings on the issue of fugitive economic offenders and he said the G20 should deal with this problem as part of its anti-corruption measures.

Abe also underlined the need to find appropriate measures to check the global trade issues and data flows and underlined that the G20 should also come up with a constructive message on the issue of climate change.

“These are the areas where Abe hoped that he would get the understanding and support of the G20 members, including that of India,” Gokhale said.

Prime minister Abe also referred to his forthcoming visit to India for the Annual Bilateral Summit.

“Abe emphasised the importance of preparing for this summit properly including through ministerial meetings, through various exchanges in infrastructure, defence, outer space, digital economy and start-ups,” the foreign secretary said.

The two leaders also had a brief discussion on the Mumbai-Ahmedabad High Speed Rail Corridor and on a convention centre being built in Varanasi, prime minister Modi’s constituency. They agreed on the delivery of both the projects on time.

Modi appreciated the work Japan is doing in the infrastructure projects in North East India.

Prime minister Modi also sought Japan’s assistance in building disaster resilient infrastructure.        Modi said Japan’s support in this area is crucial because of its experience in disaster management, rehabilitation and reconstruction.

Japan has a long history of awareness of the importance of disaster risk reduction.

Gokhale said India is seeking collaboration among countries having the capacity to handle disasters.       “Every time a disaster occurs immediate relief is given, but after that small vulnerable developing countries are left to fend for themselves- it means, focus on rebuilding infrastructure without which economy cannot regain its position,” he said.

“Prime minister Modi wants to link the disaster management capacities of the countries together so that if a disaster occurs leaders of counties know whom to go to and how to get help, rather than beginning from scratch,” he added.

“This is not to compete with UN organisations which are in relief and rehabilitation because this is about building infrastructure- India has experience and capacity to handle disasters, we can take a lead in it,” he said.

The two leaders also emphasised the need to jointly take up projects in the neighbourhood. Modi said one of the important projects India and Japan are taking forward is setting up a cancer hospital in Kenya.

(PTI)

More For You

uk-snow-getty

People drive their cars past a landscape covered in snow and along the Snake pass road, in the Peak district, northern England. (Photo: Getty Images)

UK records coldest January night in 15 years at -17.3 degrees Celsius

THE UK recorded its coldest January night in 15 years as temperatures dropped to -17.3 degrees Celsius in Altnaharra, Sutherland, by 9 pm on Friday.

This is the lowest January temperature since 2010, when Altnaharra hit -22.3 degrees Celsius on 8 January, The Guardian reported.

Keep ReadingShow less
Veteran journalist Vallabh Kaviraj passes away

Vallabh Kaviraj

Veteran journalist Vallabh Kaviraj passes away

Sudha Kaviraj

MY FATHER, Vallabh Kaviraj, (born March 3, 1932), who passed away at 92 on December 26, 2024, was a pioneering journalist who founded the newspaper, Asian Express, in 1973.

Vallabh was passionate and dedicated to serving the growing Asian community by giving a voice to the group.

Keep ReadingShow less
Chandra Arya

Arya, who represents Nepean in Ottawa and was born in India's Karnataka, made the announcement on X. (Photo: X/@AryaCanada)

Liberal MP Chandra Arya declares bid for prime minister of Canada

CANADA’s Asian MP Chandra Arya has announced his candidacy for the prime ministership, just hours before the Liberal Party confirmed that its next leader will be selected on 9 March.

Arya’s announcement comes days after prime minister Justin Trudeau declared his decision to step down while continuing in office until a new leader is chosen.

Keep ReadingShow less
brain-structures-at-birth-getty

Researchers from the University of Cambridge, UK, examined brain scans of over 500 newborns—236 girls and 278 boys—aged between 0 and 28 days. (Representational image: iStock)

Girls have more grey matter, boys more white matter at birth: Study

A NEW study has found that newborn girls and boys have distinct brain structures at birth. While boys tend to have larger brains with more white matter, girls have significantly more grey matter, which is linked to learning, speech, and cognition.

Published in the journal Biology of Sex Differences, the study suggests these differences may result from biological sex-specific development in the womb.

Keep ReadingShow less
Essar-Oil-UK-Getty

Essar Oil UK is advancing decarbonization at its Stanlow Refinery with two key projects supported by Industrial Energy Transformation Fund (IETF) grants. (Photo: Getty Images)

Essar, 24 other firms get £51.9m to cut industrial carbon emissions

THE GOVERNMENT has allocated £51.9 million to support 25 businesses in reducing carbon emissions as part of the Plan for Change aimed at driving economic growth and rebuilding Britain.

The funding covers projects across various industries, including food manufacturing, cement production, and glass processing.
Companies receiving funding include Essar Oil UK, Nestlé's coffee processing site in Staffordshire, Heinz's baked bean factory in Wigan, and Hanson Cement in North Wales.

Keep ReadingShow less