Japanese PM Shinzo Abe hosts dinner for PM Modi in Australia

Brisbane: In a reflection of the exceptionally warm and friendly equations they share, Japanese PM Shinzo Abe hosted a dinner for PM Narendra Modi Friday night. Both will attend the G-20 summit starting Saturday.

“Happy to meet you once again,” Mr Modi told Mr Abe at the dinner at the Japanese PM’s hotel. Mr Abe earlier hosted a dinner for Mr Modi at the Imperial Guest House in Kyoto during the PM’s five-day visit to Japan.

Earlier Friday, during Mr Modi’s visit to the Queensland University of Technology, foreign secretary Sujatha Singh lodged a strong protest over an incorrrect map of India on display that had Kashmir missing.

“India’s foreign secretary raised the issue strongly, and received an unqualified apology,” said MEA spokesman Syed Akbaruddin, when asked if the issue was raised when it was noticed that Kashmir was missing from the map. Mr Modi interacted with several students at the university, which was his first engagement on his five-day Australia visit.

Mr Akbaruddin said the university staff hadn’t realised there was a cartographic error. Late Friday night the university apologised for displaying a distorted map of India.

Mr Modi held his first meeting with British Premier David Cameron who described relations with India as top priority of the UK’s foreign policy and invited the Indian leader to Britain.

Mr Modi told Mr Cameron that his vision was “very inspiring” and the two countries can partner in any way they can. Mr Cameron’s spokes-person had said that the Brisbane meeting was set to strengthen the broad and deep relationship that UK and India have, building on a partnership of equals.