Abe-Modi meeting: Bullet trains,boosting economic and defence ties big focus on Day 2

Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe arrived in Ahmedabad on a two-day visit with a packed agenda that includes the laying of foundation stone for India's first bullet train project between Ahmedabad and Mumbai.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi received Abe, who is accompanied by his wife Akie, with his characteristic hug at the airport this afternoon. Immediately after the welcome ceremony, Abe, his wife, and Modi set-off on an 8-km roadshow in an open-roof jeep for the Sabarmati Ashram where apostle of peace Mahatma Gandhi spent considerable time of his life.

Abe, who was in a formal suit when he arrived at the Ahmedabad airport, wore kurta-pyjama and a blue Nehru jacket, while his wife donned red salwar-kameez and a white stole to Sabarmati Ashram. The two leaders repeatedly waved to the crowds that lined up the streets as performers presented traditional dance enroute. At the Sabarmati Ashram set up by Mahatma Gandhi, Abe and his wife paid homage to the Father of the Nation.

Modi was seen explaining to the visiting dignitaries the significance of the spinning wheel, which became emblematic of India's quest for self-reliance during its non- violent struggle for freedom from imperial rule. It was for the first time that Modi held a joint road show with a visiting head of government of a foreign country, reflecting the close bonding he shares with Abe. As the cavalcade moved on, cheering crowds were seen waving Indian and Japanese national flags.

The road show, designed to showcase India's cultural diversity, saw artistes from several states performing on 28 stages erected by the roadside. They performed folk dances in traditional attires, while at several places along the way people in customary Japanese ensemble carrying parasols were also seen breaking into a jig to welcome the visiting dignitaries. The road show, which began from Ahmedabad airport ended at the Sabarmati Ashram after traversing nearly eight kilometres.

Foundation stone of bullet train project to be laid:

On Thursday, Abe and Modi will lay the foundation stone for the high-speed train project between Ahmedabad and Mumbai which is expected to be completed by 2022. The train would cover the distance of over 500 km in around two hours. Japan has extended a soft loan for the ambitious project conceptualised by Modi. The two leaders will hold the 12th Indo-Japan annual Summit meeting at Gandhinagar after which agreements will be exchanged. Later, an India-Japan business plenary meeting will be held. Fifteen agreements will be signed for investments in Gujarat during the visit of the Japanese prime minister, Gujarat chief secretary J N Singh had said yesterday.

Defence ties likely to be boosted: 

 Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his Japanese counterpart Shinzo Abe are likely to deliberate extensively on bolstering defence and security ties during the annual summit talks being held in Gandhinagar on Thursday in the backdrop of China's growing assertiveness in the region.

There may be specific discussions on the long-pending Indian proposal to buy the US-2 amphibious aircraft from Japan and joint development of military equipment to further deepen the defence ties in sync with strategic partnership between the two countries, official sources said. The annual Indo-Japan summit is taking place amid escalating tension in the region following the nuclear test by North Korea and China's combative posturing in the resource- rich South China Sea, and Modi and Abe are expected to deliberate on them.

The two prime ministers may also explore ways to further deepen ties between the navies of the two countries to check China's heightened activities in the Indian Ocean. Reflecting growing congruence in ties, Japan had thrown its weight behind India during the Dokalam standoff. Ahead of Abe's visit here, the India-Japan annual defence ministerial dialogue had taken place in Tokyo during which co-production of military equipment, dual use technologies and New Delhi's proposal to buy the US-2 ShinMaywa aircraft were discussed.

Last year, China had reacted angrily to reports that Japan plans to sell weapons to India at cheaper prices, saying that such a move was disgraceful. There are indications that the joint statement by the two countries after Modi-Abe talks will have certain components relating to defence cooperation. At the defence dialogue, the two sides had also agreed to commence technical discussions for research collaboration in the areas of Unmanned Ground Vehicles and Robotics. 

Increased nuclear cooperation:

Modi and Abe are expected to deliberate on cooperation in the nuclear energy sector as well. A landmark civil nuclear deal between the two countries providing for collaboration between their industries in the field had come into force in July.

The nuclear cooperation agreement was signed last November during Prime Minister Narendra Modi's visit to Tokyo. The deal allows Japan to export nuclear technology to India, making it the first non-NPT signatory to have such a deal with Tokyo There was political resistance in Japan - the only country to suffer atomic bombings during the World War II - against a nuclear deal with India, particularly after the disaster at the Fukushima nuclear power plant in 2011.

Japan is a major player in the nuclear energy market and an atomic deal with it will make it easier for US-based nuclear plant makers Westinghouse Electric Corporation and GE Energy Inc to set up atomic plants in India as both these conglomerates have Japanese investments. 

India and Japan may enhance their cooperation in non-energy areas of the nuclear sector, a senior government official said today, ahead of the delegation level talks between the prime ministers of the two countries. The official, however, said there are little chances of an agreement to procure equipment from Japan for building nuclear power plants in the country as talks with French company EDF and American nuclear giant Westinghouse Electric Company are ongoing in this regard.

There is, however, a possibility of negotiations to have Japanese credit-line in future for procuring these high-end equipment, he said. Non-energy areas include nuclear medicine, irradiation, research and development in atomic sector.

The Westinghouse Electric Company and EDF are to build six power reactors each in Kovadda and Jaitapur in Maharashtra. The Kovadda plant will have each reactor of 1,208 MW capacity while the Jaitapur site will have 1650 MW each. "It is unlikely that an agreement will be signed in the nuclear power sector, but we could look at some non-power areas. Last minute talks between the two sides are on," the official, who did not wish to be named, said.