Ambassador`s Speeches and Interviews Archives Remarks by Hon'ble Ambassador H.E. Shri Sujan R. Chinoy at the Republic Day Celebrations (26 January 2016)

Remarks by Hon'ble Ambassador H.E. Shri Sujan R. Chinoy at the Republic Day Celebrations (26 January 2016)

Address by Ambassador at the Republic Day Reception- Tokyo

Distinguished members of the Indian Community,

Distinguished members of the Japanese Community,

Ladies and Gentlemen,

Konnichiwa and Namaste

1. I have only last month assumed charge as Ambassador of India to Japan. It is my pleasure to greet you all here on the occasion of the 67th Republic Day of India.

2. The 26th of January is a special day for millions of proud Indians in India and across the world. On this day in 1950, our Constitution came into force making the newly independent nation of India a sovereign and democratic Republic. In New Delhi, a grand Republic Day parade depicts the rich tapestry of our culture and significant achievements in science and technology, industryand agriculture. It also showcases our armed forces and is an occasion to pay tribute to their sacrifices.

3. It was a great honour for all Indians that the Prime Minister of Japan, H.E Shinzo Abe, was the Chief Guest at the Republic Day Parade in 2014. Prime Minister Abe, a great champion of India-Japan ties, further cemented our "Special Strategic & Global Partnership" through his most successful visit to India from 11-13 December 2015. His visit has imparted fresh momentum to our relationship, building further on the visit of Prime Minister Modi to Japan in September 2014.

4. As Prime Minister Modi said during Prime Minister Abe's recent visit to India, one cannot think of a strategic partnership that can exercise a more profound influence on shaping the course of Asia and our interlinked ocean regions than ours. No partner has played such a decisive role in India's economic transformation as Japan. There exists unmatched public goodwill and political consensus in India for our Special Strategic and Global Partnership. Japanese private investments in India are rising. Our Memorandum on Civil Nuclear Energy Cooperation is a shining symbol of mutual confidence and strategic partnership. No less historic is our decision to introduce the High Speed Rail, Shinkansen, known for its speed, reliability and safety, on the Mumbai-Ahmedabad sector.

5. India today is the fastest growing large economy in the world. India's GDP growth rate is 7.5 per cent and is expected to remain on a high trajectory in the future.

6. I would like to acknowledge the strength of public and private Japanese commitment to the ‘Make In India' Campaign. As Prime Minister Modi has said, it is indeed a revolution in Japan. There is great scope for Japanese companies to enhance their profitability and competitiveness by manufacturing in India. I encourage them to take advantage of our large domestic demand, our growing profile as a global manufacturing hub, our low cost of labour, and, our open business environment governed by the ‘rule of law'.We laud Prime Minister Abe's efforts to increase the quantum of Japan's finance and investments for India over five years to 3.5 trillion Yen.

7. This year is already off to a good start, with back-to-back visits by the Minister of State for Power, Coal, New & Renewable Energy of India for the 8th Round of the Energy Dialogue and that of the Chief Minister of the Indian state of Haryana to explore business and investments tie-ups. Our cultural linkages remain robust, with the Minister of State for Home Affairs (Interior) participating in the second meeting of the jointly initiated Samvad Conference on ‘Shared Values and Democracy in Asia' in Tokyo this month.

8. On this special occasion I would also like to acknowledge the stellar contributions of the Indian community to Japanese society. They have shown firm commitment to both India, their land of origin, as well as to Japan, their adopted land. They are a bridge for promoting friendship and cooperation.

9. As the new Ambassador of India to Japan, I look forward to working with you to promote our bilateral relations which are founded on ancient cultural bonds,the shared values of democracyand our rapidly growing economic engagement.

***

TOAST

Ladies and Gentlemen,

I now invite you to join me in a toast

  • To, the continued good health and happiness of Their Imperial Majesties, the Emperor and the Empress of Japan and His Excellency ShriPranab Mukherjee, the Hon'ble President of India
  • To, the continued good health and happiness of the people of Japan and India
  • To, the health, happiness and continued prosperity of each one of you present here today

Kampai!