'Unbearable pain for me': PM Modi pays tribute to 'friend' Shinzo Abe | Video
PM Modi said during Shinzo Abe's regime, the India-Japan relationship touched new heights and carried forward a shared heritage.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday said former Japanese premier Shinzo Abe was not only his friend but a trusted friend of India. Abe, 67, one of his nation's most powerful and influential figures, died after being shot during a campaign speech on Friday in western Japan.
Paying his respects to Abe while speaking at the inaugural Arun Jaitley Memorial Lecture in New Delhi, Modi said, “It's a day of irreparable damage and unbearable pain for me today. My close friend and former Japanese PM Shinzo Abe is no longer with us. He was not only my but also India's trusted friend... I again pay my heartfelt tributes to my friend,” Modi said.
Modi added that during Abe's regime, the India-Japan relationship touched new heights and carried forward a shared heritage.
The PM further said Abe will live in the hearts of the people for years because of his contribution to India's growth story.
Earlier in the day, while condoling the demise of the former Japanese PM, Modi said Abe dedicated his life to making the world a better place and as a mark of India's deepest respect, a one-day national mourning shall be observed on July 9.
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Modi said Abe was a towering global statesman, an outstanding leader, and a remarkable administrator.
"My association with Mr. Abe goes back many years. I had got to know him during my tenure as Gujarat CM and our friendship continued after I became PM. His sharp insights on economy and global affairs always made a deep impression on me," Modi had said.
