Former Prime Minister of India - Shri Atal Bihari Vajpayee

PRIME MINISTER SHRI ATAL BIHARI VAJPAYEE'S DEPARTURE STATEMENT MADE JUST BEFORE LEAVING ON A FIVE DAYS VISIT TO JAPAN

The following is the text of the Prime Minister, Shri Atal Bihari Vajpayee’s Departure Statement, made prior to his departure on a five-day bilateral visit to Japan , here today:

~I leave today on an official bilateral visit to Japan.

My visit was earlier scheduled for February this year, but had to be postponed because of the Gujarat earthquake. I am making this trip now, even while Parliament is in session, because I believe it is important to carry forward our relations with Japan in the direction of the global partnership which Prime Minister Mori and I had agreed on during his visit to India in August last year.

I believe this partnership is based both on strategic convergences and economic complementarities. I expect to cover all aspects of India-Japan interactions in my discussions with Prime Minister Koizumi and his colleagues. I also hope to have the opportunity to convey to Japanese Parliamentarians, businesspersons and other prominent representatives of Japanese society my belief that India and Japan are natural partners in the global environment in which we find ourselves.

There have been many positive developments in our bilateral relationship since Prime Minister Mori’s visit in August last year. A comprehensive security dialogue has started and is to be institutionalized. Contacts in the defence sphere have grown. The India-Japan Eminent Persons' Group has submitted a comprehensive set of proposals for our consideration. High level Japanese Economic Missions have visited India. Interactions in IT have progressed well and we had a successful ~IT summit~ this September. During my visit we expect to build further on these interactions.

A strong economic cooperation is an important underpinning to the India-Japan partnership. Delegations from both CII and FICCI will be in Japan coinciding with my visit and significant business interactions are scheduled in Osaka and in Tokyo.

In my discussions with Prime Minister Koizumi and other members of the Japanese leadership, I will also cover regional and international issues of the day. Japan, like India, is a member of the international coalition to combat terrorism. Our countries should strengthen our bilateral cooperation against terrorism. We can also cooperate in the efforts for reconstruction and

rehabilitation in Afghanistan.

I believe that India and Japan have a number of contributions to make not only to peace and stability in our regions, but also to the strategic and economic dialogue within the international community.