TOKYO: Phone call between Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi and H.E. SUGA Yoshihide, Prime Minister of Japan

TOKYO: Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi had a phone
call today with His Excellency SUGA Yoshihide, Prime Minister of Japan.

The two leaders expressed satisfaction at the positive momentum in India-Japan
Special Strategic & Global Partnership in the last few years, guided by
mutual trust and shared values. They appreciated that bilateral exchanges were
maintained over the last year despite the COVID-19 pandemic. They also welcomed
the recent signing of the Memorandum of Cooperation on Specified Skilled
Workers (SSW) and looked forward to its early implementation.

Prime Minister Modi noted the Mumbai Ahmedabad High Speed Rail (MAHSR) project
as a shining example of India-Japan bilateral strategic partnership and
expressed his commitment to its successful implementation.

The two leaders further exchanged views on regional and global issues of mutual
interest and concurred that the partnership between the two countries could
play a pivotal role in addressing common challenges. In this regard, they
emphasized that their engagement with like-minded countries such as Australia
and the U.S. in the form of Quad consultations holds value and agreed that
these useful discussions must continue.

The two leaders noted that the 70th anniversary of establishment of diplomatic
relations between the two countries would fall in 2022 and agreed that this
event be celebrated in a befitting manner.

The Prime Minister invited Prime Minister Suga to visit India at the earliest
for the Annual Bilateral Summit.