India-Japan global partnership to give new direction to way world looks today: Upadhyay

Tokyo, Feb 18 (ANI): The upcoming India-Japan Global Partnership Summit 2011, which marks ten years of the announcement of the partnership, will initiate a new framework of working together between the two nations and give a new direction to the way the world looks like today.

The India-Japan Global Partnership Summit 2011 will be held in Tokyo from September 5-7, and both sides are optimistic about its great success and strengthening of the relationship between the two countries.

The Indian government has extended its full support for IJGPS-2011 that has been initiated by India Center Foundation, a non-Partisan organization that has been a catalyst in India's nation building process and also in forging a stronger relationship between India and Japan.

"India-Japan Global Partnership is about India Japan working as global partners and putting their strengths together and sees three things - What Japan can do for India? What India can do for Japan and what India and Japan can do for Asia and the rest of the world?

"And this partnership, I believe, will bring a new energy and new direction to the way world looks like today," said Vibhav Kant Upadhyay, founder Chairman of India Center foundation.

Indian Commerce Minister Anand Sharma announced the date of the summit during the signing of the Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA) in Tokyo.

Among those present on the occasion were Shinzo Abe and Yukio Hatoyama, the former Prime Ministers of Japan.

The summit will include an India-Japan Expo and five concurrent forums, including business, academic, policy, youth and cultural forums of non-governmental initiatives.

"We will be fully supportive initiatives and he success of this summit in September will open new areas of cooperation and give a momentum and focus direction to our engagement which is bound to deepen and diversify in the coming years," Sharma said.

"Today is a very important day for both India and Japan as the Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA) was signed between Commerce and Industry Minister Sharma and the Foreign Affairs Minister Maehara. I would like you to also understand the significance of having announced the summit today. I wish it great success," said Dr. Hatoyama.

The summit's official announcement had also been made in India during the visit of Dr. Yukio Hatoyama on January 17. He had met Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and other top political and business dignitaries to highlight the significance of the summit.

Over the last decade, the partnership has gained significance in India and Japan's national development processes and has strengthened socio-economic ties, regional integration and multilateral trade. (ANI)