India-Japan sign bilateral agreements, Modi welcomes Abe's support for APEC membership to India

New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi has welcomed his Japanese counterpart Shinzo Abe's support for Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) membership to India after signing the bilateral agreement on Saturday at Hyderabad House in Delhi.

APEC is a platform for 21 Pacific Rim member economies (lands around the rim of the Pacific Ocean) that promotes free trade throughout the Asia-Pacific region.

While welcoming Shinzo at Hyderabad House, Modi said, "I am delighted to welcome PM Shinzo, a personal friend and a great champion of India-Japan partnership. We have made great strides in economic cooperation. I would like to thank PM Abe for his prompt decision on our economic proposals."

On the context of civil nuclear cooperation, he said, "The MoU on civil nuclear cooperation is more than just a deal for commercial purpose."

He lauded that the government's decision to implement high speed trains in India is a historic step towards serving the people in terms of world class rail connectivity.

"We appreciate the sharp increase in Japan's contribution to Make-in-India. India is a land of possibilities with excellent human resources and I can say proudly that Japan has been there at every turning point. I have been told that Japan has set aside a 12 billion US dollars fund specifically on Make-in-India and it is a proud moment for us that for the first time Japan will import Maruti Suzuki cars from India," he added.

"We have taken two more decisive steps in security co-operation that will deepen our defence relations and promote defence manufacturing in India. We will also strive for our rightful place in a reformed UN Security Council," Modi said.

Watch PM Modi's full speech on India-Japan bilateral agreements at Hyderabad House:

"Recognizing our special relationship, India will extend 'visa on arrival' to all Japanese citizens from March 1, 2016. As we work for Vision 2025 of Indo-Japan ties, we will advance prosperity of our people and shape an Asian century in our vision and values. We will also strive for our rightful place in a reformed UN Security Council. The Kyoto Varanasi partnership is a great symbol of our relationship and we are happy to hear that Japan will build a convention centre at Varanasi," he said.

Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe reiterated that the partnership with India has reached to a new level and buds have turned into blossoms. "Our strategic cooperation is very important. A strong Japan is good for India and a strong India is good for Japan. The bullet train agreement is a new dawn in India Japan relations and I hope to see more high speed rail in India," Abe said.

On nuclear deal, he said, "We have reached an agreement on nuclear deal for peaceful use of nuclear energy. I hope India uses nuclear power responsibly. Japan will support improvement of quality of infrastructure in India; we will also support Make-in-India initiative taken by PM Modi."