PM Modi to travel to Japan for Shinzo Abe's funeral

New Delhi, August 24

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Prime Minister Narendra Modi is planning to attend the state funeral of former Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe on September 27 in Tokyo, Japanese government officials said on Wednesday.

PM Modi had a close relationship with Abe. He will also meet with the current Prime Minister Fumio Kishida during the visit, reported Japanese media.

Meanwhile, the two countries are also planning to hold a second round of “two-plus-two” security talks involving their foreign and defense ministers on September 8 in Tokyo.

At the planned ministerial security talks, Japanese Foreign Minister Yoshimasa Hayashi and Defense Minister Yasukazu Hamada will engage their Indian counterparts Subrahmanyam Jaishankar and Rajnath Singh.

It is unprecedented for the PM to visit a nation twice in four months. PM Modi had last visited Japan in May for the Quad grouping.

Abe was Japan’s longest-serving prime minister. He was shot dead last month while delivering a stump speech in Japan ahead of the July 10 House of Councillors election.