Japan PM Kishida plans 3-day India visit from March 19; hold bilateral talks with PM Modi

Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida is expected to make a visit to the G20 Presidency host India and meet Prime Minister Narendra Modi to hold the bilateral talks, Kyodo news reported. Tokyo will hold the presidency of the Group of Seven nations [G7] this year, and Kishida is planning to make a visit to India ahead of taking the chairmanship, a government source told the agency, Friday. 

Kisida's trip comes in the backdrop of his Foreign Minister Yoshimasa Hayashi's cancellation of a visit to the foreign ministerial meeting of the G-20 top diplomats held through Thursday this week. 

Kishida to visit India for three days from March 19

Kishida will visit India for three days from March 19. He noted that he intends to meet Prime Minister Narendra Modi to reaffirm ties between Tokyo and New Delhi "as this year's G-7 and G-20 presidents." G-7 consists of Britain, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan and the United States, and the European Union. 

Japan and India "will work together more closely to tackle issues stemming from Russia's war in Ukraine," the source was quoted as saying. India has emerged as the key nation of the "Global South," a term coined to refer to the developing countries in Asia, Africa, and Latin America. Kishida is planning to strengthen ties with the allies, including India, as it prepares to hold the G-7 summit that will be attended in person by the ministers in May this year in Japan's western city of Hiroshima. Kishida is expected to invite Prime Minister Modi to participate in the G-7 summit "in person," according to sources.