Modi, Abe lay foundation for bullet train in India

Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe attended a ceremony on Thursday to inaugurate the start of a project to build a new high-speed railway in India employing Japanese bullet train technology.

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi joined Abe at the ceremony for the railway project that will link Mumbai and Ahmedabad, before holding their summit in Gandhinagar in the western state of Gujarat.

"I, the Japanese government and Japanese companies are determined to work as one to provide complete support for Prime Minister Modi's decision" to introduce Japan's shinkansen technology, Abe said during the ceremony held near Sabarmati railway station in Ahmedabad.

He noted that Japan's shinkansen system has never experienced a fatal accident since beginning operations in 1964.

"Japan will share freely its knowledge concerning railway safety, including the shinkansen, and work together in ensuring the safety of railways across India," he said.

The new line is expected to shorten travel time on the 500-kilometer journey between the two western India cities to less than three hours from eight, with India aiming to start operation by 2023.

India's Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and his wife, Akie Abe, arrive at Gandhi Ashram in Ahmedabad, India, on Wednesday. Photo: REUTERS

Later Thursday, Abe and Modi are expected to call for international efforts to increase pressure on North Korea as much as possible following its nuclear and ballistic missile tests.

Abe and Modi, who will meet in Gandhinagar, western India, will also agree to promote defense and maritime security cooperation between their countries amid China's assertive activities in the Asia-Pacific region.

In a statement to be released after the summit, their 10th in three years, the two prime ministers are expected to condemn North Korea over its sixth nuclear test earlier this month and continued ballistic missile launches, while urging it to honor its international duties including relevant U.N. Security Council sanctions resolutions.

The U.N. body on Monday adopted its latest resolution that imposes the first restrictions on exports of crude oil and petroleum products to the North.

To tackle another security challenge Japan and India face in common, Abe and Modi will likely reaffirm the necessity of freedom of navigation at sea based on international law, apparently in reference to China's expansionary activities in the South China Sea.

They are expected to agree to promote bilateral cooperation in the field of defense equipment and technology as well as continue trilateral collaboration in maritime drills also involving the U.S. Navy.

In the statement, Abe and Modi are expected to announce they will keep discussing the possible export to India of the Japanese Maritime Self-Defense Force's US-2 amphibious aircraft for search and rescue purposes. But its high price tag has been preventing the two countries from reaching a deal, Japanese officials said.

Although Tokyo had sought to upgrade security talks with New Delhi involving vice foreign and defense ministers to a ministerial-level dialogue, Abe and Modi are likely to maintain the current scheme, the officials said.

In the economic field, Abe will express Japan's intention to provide about 190 billion yen ($1.7 billion) in low-interest loans for a new high-speed railway and other infrastructure projects in India, the officials said.