Japan PM Shinzo Abe and PM Narendra Modi talk of five year cooperation

Kyoto: Prime Minister Narendra Modi embarked on his vist to Japan on an ambitious note of creating 100 “smart cities” in the country. The Kyoto mayor will make a detailed presentation to Mr Modi on Sunday on how the ancient tradition of Japan’s cultural capital has been preserved while building it into a modern city.

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Kyoto, with around 2,000 temples and shrines, has been at the crossroads of history since the end of the Nara Period (794 A.D.), It was the capital of Japan for over 1,000 years. Under the MoU, both cities shall endeavor to strengthen exchanges and cooperation in the agreed fields based on principles of equality and mutual respect and benefit and continuously exchange information and opinion in the agreed areas.

After the signing of the pact, Mr Abe hosted a dinner for Mr Modi. Mr Modi observed that the relationship was far below potential and expressed hope that the two sides would strive to achieve in five years the unrealised potential of five decades.