Indo-Japan Global Partnership Forum

The Economic-Culture- Tourism-Sport- Exchange Delegation, July 2004, under the leadership of Koga Makoto and Toshihiro Nikai - Members of the House of Representatives-LDP, visited India to promote Economic Culture-Tourism. The Delegation consisted of senior politicians, opinion leaders, business leaders and academicians and industrialists from various sectors.

India Center organised the first ever 'Global Partnership Forum' with their visit to India. Year 2000 was an extremely significant year and an important turning point for Indo-Japanese relations. Yoshiro Mori, Prime Minister of Japan visited India and then Prime Minister Vajpayee's initiative both India and Japan moved on to build newer, stronger ties and relations. It was during this visit that a 'Global Partnership' was proposed. A 'Global Partnership Forum' - is a platform for discussion and exchange of ideas and opinions between various sectors.

The Global Partnership Forum focused on infrastructure development and Mr. Vibhav Kant Upadhyay, the Chairman of India Center proposed need of synergy between India and Japan to develop world class infrastructure as Japan's capabilities to make world class infrastructure, mutual exchange of knowledge and know-how, facilitating increased tourism appeal were some of the topics discussed. The conclusion of the Forum saw the signing of a MoU, "Basic Understanding Document to Encourage Cooperation in the Field of Tourism between the Governments of India and Japan by the Undersigned". This was signed by Hon. Toshihiro Nikai, Member - House of Representatives -LDP, and by Shri Suresh Prabhu, Member of Parliament.