Japanese PM Abe arrives tomorrow with business agenda

New Delhi, Aug 20 (UNI) Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe arrives here tomorrow on a three-day visit that would give a push to bilateral trade between the second largest and the second fastest growing economies of the world.

Mr Abe is bringing a strong 160-member delegation comprising captains of Japanese industry, acknowledging the need for expanding business and raising the bilateral trade from the present 7 billion dollars.

He will address a joint sitting of Parliament at 1000 hrs on Wednesday and the same evening hold talks with Prime Minister Manmohan Singh. The two countries will sign a few agreements at the end of the talks, while the two leaders will have a joint press interaction.

Ahead of his visit, the Union Cabinet cleared last week the 100- billion dollar Delhi-Mumbai Industrial Corridor (DMIC) project, involving Japanese assistance and spread over six states -- Uttar Pradesh, Haryana, Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Gujarat and Maharashtra.

The project had been announced during Dr Singh's visit to Japan in December last year.

DMIC would include a 1,483 km Dedicated Freight Corridor (DFC) between Delhi and Mumbai, offering high speed connectivity for high axle load wagons, and an industrial corridor which would have a depth of 150 km on either side of the DFC unless the coastline proved to be a hindrance.

Most of the funding would come from the private sector and the total number of projects would be around 120. Japan is expected to put in about 10 billion dollars. At present, Japan's total investment in India is estimated at five billion dollars.

The main purpose of Mr Abe's visit is to finalise the roadmap for implementing the strategic partnership forged last December.

Mr Abe would call on President Pratibha Devisingh Patil. Among the leaders who would meet him are External Affairs Minister Pranab Mukherjee and Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha, Mr L K Advani.

He would have a luncheon meeting with the Indian business delegation, representing CII, FICCI and Assocham.

He would leave for Kolkata on Thursday morning en route to Kuala Lumpur.

UNI