India, Japan are 'natural partners'

Tokyo: India and Japan are 'natural partners' and Japanese investments have played an important role in India's development journey, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said on Monday as he underlined that the global community is witnessing an extraordinary scale and speed of infrastructure and capacity development in the country. Addressing the Indian community here on the first day of his two-day visit to Tokyo, Modi also said that India's relationship with Japan is one of strength, respect and common resolve for the world.

"India and Japan are natural partners. Japan has played an important role in India's development journey," said Modi, who is visiting Tokyo at the invitation of his Japanese counterpart Fumio Kishida.

Modi and Kishida will be holding bilateral talks here on Tuesday. Modi said that Japan is an important partner in building infrastructure and manufacturing capacity in India. He cited Mumbai-Ahmedabad High Speed Rail, Delhi-Mumbai Industrial Corridor, dedicated freight corridors- as examples of India-Japan cooperation. He said India's relationship with Japan is that of Buddha, of knowledge, of meditation. "Today's world needs to follow the path shown by Gautam Buddha. This is the only way to save humanity from the challenges like violence, anarchy, terrorism and climate change," Modi said in his over 35-minute-long speech.