PM Narendra Modi to visit Japan on September 27 to attend funeral of former Japanese premier Shinzo Abe

India-Japan ties were upgraded to a ‘global and strategic partnership’ by Shinzo Abe and Manmohan Singh in 2006 – the year that Abe first became prime minister. In 2007, Abe became the first ever Japanese PM to address a joint session of Indian Parliament, when he made the famous “Confluence of the Two Seas” speech (File image)

Prime Minister Narendra Modi will visit Japan on September 27 to attend the state funeral of former Japanese premier Shinzo Abe, who was fatally shot in July. Abe, Japan's longest-serving prime minister, was shot dead on July 8 while delivering a campaign speech in western Japan ahead of the House of Councillors election on July 10.

Modi will visit Japan on September 27 to attend the state funeral, the Ministry of External Affairs said. He will also separately meet Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida during the visit.

Modi had a close relationship with Abe. He had condoled the demise of his "dear friend" Abe and said the former Japanese premier dedicated his life to making the world a better place.