India, Japan sign 15 MoUs after Modi - Abe meet

India and Japan on Thursday signed 15 memorandums of understanding (MoUs), covering a range of issues such as bilateral relations, defence and security cooperation, and supporting each other for a permanent seat in the United Nations' expanded Security Council.

The MoUs followed the laying of the foundation stone for the Ahmedabad-Mumbai bullet train in Ahmedabad by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his Japanese counterpart Shinzo Abe.

The two sides signed an MoU on cooperation in disaster management, under which India's ministry of home affairs and Japan's cabinet office will cooperate and collaborate in the field of disaster risk reduction and share experiences, knowledge and policies on disaster prevention.

Under the memorandum of cooperation on skill development. Japan's ministry of foreign affairs and India's ministry of external affairs will jointly facilitate Japanese language education in India

Under the MoU signed to further the Act East initiative, the two countries will cooperate to enhance connectivity and promote developmental projects in the North Eastern Region of India in an efficient and effective manner

Another MoU on economic and commercial cooperation between the two countries pledges to establish an arrangement between India Post and Japan Post on administrative instruction for the implementation of 'Cool EMS' service – a service through which fresh food can be sent from Japan to India in cool boxes to Japanese expatriates in India

A road map of India-Japan Investment Promotion prepared by the Department of Industrial Policy and Promotion with Japan's METI provides for accelerating Japanese investments in India. Under this, the two countries will cooperate in a special infrastructure development programmes in the Mandal Bechraj-Khoraj region in Gujarat.

An MoU on science and technology provides for international joint exchange programme between interdisciplinary theoretical and mathematical sciences programme (iTHEMS), RIKEN and National Centres for Biological Sciences (Simons-NCBS)

The idea is to establish a joint exchange program to identify and foster talented young scientists from both the countries to collaborate in the field of theoretical biology

The National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology (AIST), Japan and India's Department of Biotechnology (DBT) will also undertake joint research contracts.

MoU were also signed on a international academic and sports exchanges between Lakshmibai National Institute of Physical Education (LNIPE) and the Nippon Sports Science University, Japan (NSSU) to facilitate and deepen international education cooperation and exchanges.

A letter of intent signed between Sports Authority of India and University of Tsukuba, Japan provides for strengthening strategic collaboration, joint research programme and exchanges between University of Tsukuba, Japan and Sports Authority of India

Besides the two countries agreed to promote institutional cooperation between Research and Information System (RIS) of India and the Institute of Developing Economies (IDE) and Japan External Trade Organisation (IDE- JETRO), in order to strengthen the capacity of research and effectiveness of dissemination of research findings.

The growing Indo-Japanese cooperation is important for both countries would help counter China's growing influence in South Asia and act as a stabilising force in the region, the two countries stated after the signing of the MoUs.

Modi claimed Japan's foreign direct investment (FDI) to India had actually trebled in the past few years, a testimony to the growing economic ties. So far, around $25.7 billion has flown in as FDI from Japan; the plan now is to double this by 2019.

Modi and Abe also used the summit to jointly condemn North Korea's latest nuclear test and uranium enrichment activities, urging the hermit nation to comply with UNSC resolutions.