The Prime Minister, Shri Narendra Modi, addressed the Indian Community in Japan today, at a reception in Tokyo. He described the visit to Japan as successful, highlighting the investment of 3.5 trillion yen that Japan has committed. He also referred to the lifting of sanctions on six Indian companies, and said this was possible only because the relationship between the two countries was based on the strong bond of trust.
The Prime Minister also expressed satisfaction over the signing of the Varanasi-Kyoto Partner City MoU, and said he hoped Varanasi could emerge as a modern heritage city like Kyoto.
The Prime Minister mentioned that he had gifted the Bhagavad Gita to both the Japanese Emperor Akihito, and the Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe.
Mentioning his vision of Swachh Bharat by 2019, the 150th anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi, the Prime Minister urged each family of the Indian community in Japan to motivate five Japanese families to visit India each year. He also urged the Indian community in Japan to give suggestions on governance, on the recently launched MyGov.in website.
The Prime Minister said the 21st century would certainly be Asia’s century, but what shape it would take, would depend on how the relationship between India and Japan evolves, what values it promotes, and what direction it takes the world in. He urged the Indian community in Japan to appreciate their importance in this context.
