After a year-long online engagement between India Foundation, New Delhi and Kajima Institute of International Peace (KIIP), Tokyo, the India Foundation delegation of five senior delegates visited Japan hosted by KIIP. The delegation led by Dr. Ram Madhav, President, India Foundation included Vice Admiral Shekhar Sinha, Chairman, Board of Trustees, India Foundation, New Delhi, India, Amb Deepa Gopalan Wadhwa, Indian Foreign Service (Retired) Former Ambassador to Sweden, Latvia, Qatar, Japan and the Marshall Islands, Ms. Rami Niranjan Desai, Distinguished Fellow, India Foundation and Dr Srabani Roy Choudhary, Professor, Jawaharlal Nehru University
New Delhi, India.
The delegation visit took place from 13th December 2023 to 17thDecember 2023. During the visit the delegation visited several leading think tanks in Japan and discussed issues of mutual concern to India and Japan such as trade and commerce, security and defence as well as soft power. The delegation was invited by Nakasone Peace Institute, International Strategic Research center, Sasagawa Peace Foundation and the PHP Institute. The delegation also met with India Committee of Japan Association of Corporate Executives (JBIC), the meeting was hosted by Mr Tadashi Maeda, Committee Chairperson. The delegation also met with Diet Japan India Friendship Caucus which included various Members of the house of Representatives and Ministers.
The delegation was hosted by the Indian Ambassador to Tokyo, Amb. Sibi George at the India House for a dinner to welcome the delegation to Japan as well as to interact with India experts in Japan and other dignitaries who have contributed to the India Japan partnership. Amb Sibi George and Dr Ram Madhav both delivered their remarks on the visit of the delegation.
The delegation also travelled to Kyoto. KIIP and PHP Institute had jointly organised a half day conference to deliberate on the importance of Soft Power to both the countries. Delegate members made presentations on the same. In Kyoto the Counsel General of India in Osaka, Mr. Nikhilesh Chandra Giri hosted a dinner for the delegation. The delegation met with several senior academics, India experts and diaspora. The Counsel General Mr. Nikhilesh Chandra Giri, Dr Ram Madhav and Deepa Gopalan Wadhwa addressed the gathering with warm words of friendship and a vision of an ever-strengthening India Japan partnership.
