New Delhi, July 7 (KNN) Former Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga on Thursday said that India and Japan share fundamental values and as the international situation becomes increasingly severe, it is further important to deepen cooperation between India and Japan as special strategic global partners.

Addressing the ‘FICCI Forum of Parliamentarians Interaction with Former PM of Japan and Delegation of ‘Ganesha’ Group of MPs from Japan’,Suga said that he is hopeful of a urther leap forward in economic relations between New Delhi and Tokyo.

Earlier, on Thursday, the former Japanese PM called on Prime Minister Narendra Modi, with the two holding discussions on deepening India-Japan Special Strategic and global partnership in different areas, including parliamentary exchanges, investment and economic ties.

Speaking on the occasion, he said, “As the President of the Japan-India Association, I am very pleased to be able to visit India together with the business community of Japan. India has now become the fifth-largest economy in the world. And even now, it is growing rapidly, and the economic growth rate in fiscal 2022 is at a high level of 7.2 per cent.”

He also mentioned how he felt the "momentum" of the Indian economy, adding that India was posed to be home to the world's largest population.

"India is also expected to become the world's largest population by the end of this year. I myself witnessed India's liveliness and was able to directly feel the "momentum" of the Indian economy," he added.

Suga was also hopeful that the representatives of Indian industry will deepen their cooperation with private companies in Japan and play a major role in the development of Japan-India economic relations.

"Your activities will be the pillars of economic relations between our two countries. We hope that you will continue to support us for the further development and deepening of Japan-India relations. I would like to conclude my remarks by praying for a further leap forward in economic relations between Japan and India," the former Japanese PM said.
KNN Bureau