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S Jaishankar recalls Abe's interest in India, pays rich respects to ex Japan PM
Abe was gunned down earlier this month during a campaign speech in the western Japanese city of Nara.
Foreign minister S Jaishankar on Friday paid rich respects to former Japanese prime minister Shinzo Abe who was assassinated earlier this month. Speaking at an event in Delhi, held in the memory of Abe, Jaishankar remembered the Japanese leader's contributions not only to his own country but also to the world over the last 30 years.
Jaishankar also spoke about how Abe's "long interest" in India encouraged the country to push for a trilateral between India, the US, and Japan. “PM Abe developed a long interest in India and one of the expressions of that interest was actually to encourage us to do a trilateral between India, US and Japan,” Jaishankar was quoted as saying at the event by news agency ANI.
Read more | ‘India lost a true friend’: Lok Sabha pays tributes to Shinzo Abe, others
Abe was gunned down earlier this month during a campaign speech in the western Japanese city of Nara, sending shockwaves across the nation known for strict gun control rules.
"We're gathered here in tribute to former Japanese PM Shinzo Abe a few weeks after his tragic assassination. It's natural that on an occasion like this, we would be sharing our recollections and exchanging memories," Jaishankar said. “But I think, if we're to do him justice, it's important to evaluate his contribution not just to his own country's security, foreign policy and development but actually to international relations over last 30 years."
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Abe – who had been the longest-serving Japanese prime minister – stepped down in 2020, citing health reasons. He was prime minister of Japan twice, from 2006-07 and again from 2012-20. He was succeeded by Yoshihide Suga and later by Fumio Kishida.
Shinzo Abe was hailed as a friend of India whose tenure saw the bilateral ties gain new strength and depth and whose strategic vision left a deep imprint on the global stage.
A state funeral for Shinzo Abe has been scheduled for September 27 in Tokyo, news agency ANI reported, citing local media.
