日本にほん・インド首脳しゅのう会談かいだんへ幅広はばひろい分野ぶんやで協力きょうりょく強化きょうか確認かくにんしたい考かんがえ

Prime Minister Ishiba will hold a summit meeting with Indian Prime Minister Modi on the 29th.

We want to harness the vitality of India, the worlds most populous country with a promising expanding market, for Japans growth, and aim to confirm the strengthening of cooperation in a wide range of fields such as security, economy, and people-to-people exchanges.

Prime Minister Modis visit to Japan is his first since the G7 Hiroshima Summit two years ago, and it will be the first reciprocal visit between the two leaders in seven years.

In the summit meeting held at the Prime Ministers Office, Prime Minister Ishiba intends to confirm the strengthening of cooperation in a wide range of fields, expressing his desire to harness the vitality of India—the worlds most populous country with over 1.4 billion people and an expanding market—for Japans growth.

Specifically, they are expected to agree on the establishment of a new framework called the Economic Security Cooperation Initiative to strengthen cooperation in areas such as semiconductors, critical minerals, AI, and pharmaceuticals.

In the field of security, they are working to revise the Joint Declaration signed in 2008, aiming to include specific measures for defense cooperation.

In the economic field, a new goal is expected to be set to make 10 trillion yen in private investment in India over the next ten years. In addition, both sides are expected to agree to promote the exchange of more than 500,000 people in both directions over the next five years, including 50,000 personnel from India to Japan.

As a result of the talks, a total of 11 outcome documents are expected to be compiled, including a joint statement and a Joint Vision that outlines specific directions for the next 10 years in areas such as the environment, healthcare, and exchanges between local governments.

The Modi administration in India, where economic growth continues, is moving forward with the construction of the countrys first high-speed railway as part of infrastructure development, connecting Mumbai, the largest commercial city in the west, and Ahmedabad, an industrial city, over a distance of about 500 kilometers.

Japan made a concerted government and private sector effort to promote its technology, and in 2015, then-Prime Minister Abe and Prime Minister Modi agreed to introduce Japans Shinkansen bullet train technology.

Originally, the opening was scheduled for 2023, but due to difficulties in acquiring land and delays caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, the Indian government is now aiming for completion in 2029. Construction of station buildings, elevated bridges, and other structures is underway at the site.

The section where the high-speed rail will run currently takes over five hours by conventional trains, but with the introduction of Shinkansen technology, it is expected to be shortened to about two hours. Voices of anticipation were heard in Ahmedabad.

A man who had previously traveled to Mumbai for work using conventional trains said, If the high-speed rail starts operating, it will save time, make travel easier, and also help expand business.

Also, a man who runs a restaurant near the station said, After the high-speed rail opens, I hope the number of customers will more than double.

He expressed his hope that the relationship between India and Japan will become even better.

In the development of high-speed railways, Japan has been providing support in a wide range of fields, and of the project cost, which is expected to reach 1.8 trillion yen, more than 1 trillion yen has already been provided through yen loans.

In terms of technology and human resource development, Japan is dispatching experts to share construction know-how, and within Japan, personnel involved in the operation and management of high-speed railways are being trained.

JICA Japan International Cooperation Agency has accepted more than 40 trainees from the Indian high-speed rail sector over the past three years, and starting this year, under the guidance of JR East, has also begun training programs to develop train drivers. This month, skill training such as operating Shinkansen trains has also started.

In conjunction with Prime Minister Modis visit to Japan, arrangements are being made to introduce JR Easts new E10 series trains, which are planned for implementation in fiscal 2030, to India as well. This is expected to further deepen cooperation between the two countries.

International Situation Surrounding India: Relations with the United States Prime Minister Modis visit to Japan at this time had already been scheduled, but according to an Indian expert familiar with Japan-India relations, as the international situation surrounding India is rapidly changing, summit diplomacy with Japan has become even more important for Prime Minister Modi at this point.

The reason is that relations between India and the United States have deteriorated, and they are now facing a major diplomatic challenge.

President Trump and Prime Minister Modi had a good relationship during Trumps first term, and when then-President Trump visited India in 2020, he was warmly welcomed by Prime Minister Modi.

President Trump delivered a speech in front of a crowd of over 100,000 people gathered at the local stadium, declaring, America has always been a loyal friend to India, which was met with loud cheers.

However, the current Trump administration continues to take a tough stance on India with its tariff policy, and citing Indias purchase of crude oil and petroleum products from Russia, raised the additional tariffs on imports from India to 50% starting on the 27th of this month.

As a result, India could be significantly affected economically, and Prime Minister Modi has strongly opposed the tariff increases, showing a confrontational stance.

In this context, it appears that India is seeking to deepen its ties with various countries, and in terms of the economy, Japan is always one of the countries that India considers a top priority.

Prime Minister Modi will visit Tianjin, China after visiting Japan.

It is the first time in seven years that the Prime Minister of India has visited China.

He is scheduled to attend the summit of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization, a framework for security and economic cooperation led by China and Russia.

India has had ongoing tensions with China due to border disputes.

However, recently there have been moves to improve relations with China.

On the 18th of this month, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi will visit India and hold talks with Prime Minister Modi on the 19th.

Prime Minister Modi stated, A stable and constructive relationship between India and China will greatly contribute to peace and prosperity in the region and the world, emphasizing his intention to strengthen relations between the two countries.

As relations with the United States are rapidly deteriorating, India is once again emphasizing its traditional policy of multi-directional diplomacy, and it appears to be seeking to improve relations with China as well.

Indias population is over 1.4 billion.

It has surpassed China and is now number one in the world.

Also, according to a report published by the IMF International Monetary Fund in April, India’s GDP is expected to surpass Japan’s this year, making it the fourth largest in the world.

Prime Minister Modi has been promoting a policy called Make in India to attract foreign capital, boost the manufacturing industry, and create jobs, and economic growth is expected to continue in the future.

India is seen as a promising investment destination for Japan, and more than 1,400 Japanese companies have already entered the market.

One of the fields where investment from Japan is accelerating is the automobile industry.

India is the worlds third-largest automobile market after China and the United States.

The Indian government has announced a plan to increase the share of EVs among passenger cars sold domestically from the current approximately 2% to 30% by 2030, as a measure for decarbonization and to address severe air pollution.

From these factors, Japanese automobile manufacturers are accelerating their investments in anticipation of future demand growth.

Among them, the automaker Suzuki, whose largest market is India, began producing EVs in India this year and started shipping EVs on the 26th of this month.

At the commemorative ceremony, Prime Minister Modi also made an appearance and said, From today, EVs manufactured in India will be exported to 100 countries around the world, highlighting the economic cooperation between India and Japan.

On the other hand, India, which has the largest population in the world, is also attracting attention for its diverse human resources.

More than 50,000 Indians live in Japan.

Many of the people working in this field are said to be engaged in IT-related jobs, but the Japanese government wants to further broaden the base and accept a wider range of personnel.

Among them, what Japanese companies are currently focusing on is caregiving personnel.

It is estimated that by fiscal year 2040, there will be a shortage of approximately 570,000 care workers in Japan.

SOMPO Care, a major Japanese nursing care company, opened a training facility near New Delhi, the capital of India, last year.

We have set a goal to train about 60 Indian caregivers annually, teaching them practical know-how such as Japanese communication in care settings and how to use wheelchairs and beds.

Trainees can stay in Japan for up to five years if they pass the Specified Skilled Worker exam, but if they obtain a certified care worker qualification, they can work even longer and are expected to support the Japanese nursing care field over the long term.

Through Prime Minister Modis visit to Japan this time, both countries are seeking to find directions for cooperation over the next decade in a wide range of fields, including not only the economy but also economic security, the environment, and innovation.