'Modi Visit, Tokyo Declaration Give New Dynamism To India-Japan Ties'

NEW DELHI: The Tokyo Declaration taking India-Japan relations to the next level - a Special Strategic Global Partnership - has lent "new dynamism" to the close ties between the two nations, especially with its emphasis on increased economic and defence cooperation, even though Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his Japanese counterpart Shinzo Abe failed to tie up the civil nuclear deal during this visit, say experts.

Former foreign secretary Kanwal Sibal termed the visit "largely successful" with important decisions taken in the economic side, especially Japan's promise of $33.58 billion over the next five years under the India-Japan Investment Promotion Partnership, that would include development of economic corridors, infrastructure, transport system and smart cities.

Japan has also offered financial, technical and operational support to India for the Shinkansen system or the bullet trains.

Sibal termed the agreements in the defence sector as significant, especially Japan's decision to remove six Indian entities from the 'foreign end users list' and the progress in talks for purchase by India of the US-2 amphibian aircraft from Japan as well as the decision to regularize the India-US-Japan Malabar maritime exercise.

However, he said it was disappointing that the civil nuclear deal could not be signed.

Former ambassador G. Parthasarathy said Modi's Japan visit has "certainly given new dynamism to bilateral relations, which were good in any case", in the wake of substantive involvement of Japan in India's economic development and the enhanced military-to-military relations.
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