Narendra Modi's special friend Shinzo Abe arrives in India: Here's what to expect

New Delhi: Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe arrived in India on Friday to take part in the annual summit.

Abe will hold Indo-Japan Summit talks with his good friend Narendra Modi on Saturday.

Special friend from the East! PM @AbeShinzo in India for annual summit to strengthen Strategic & Global Partnership pic.twitter.com/nxuBZGFBA0 — Vikas Swarup (@MEAIndia) December 11, 2015

In his first engagement upon arrival in New Delhi, Abe met External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj.

During talks with Swaraj, Abe expressed condolences for the loss of lives during the recent Chennai rains and subsequent floods.

He further said that he is “very excited to be here for my third visit to India as the PM” of Japan.

Carrying forward a positive legacy of friendship and cooperation: EAM @SushmaSwaraj calls on Japanese PM @AbeShinzo pic.twitter.com/5MDPUs1l6S — Vikas Swarup (@MEAIndia) December 11, 2015

During Abe's three-day visit, India and Japan are likely to take their bilateral relationship forward and ink a number of deals.

Here's what all we can expect from the Japanese PM's India visit:

- India and Japan are likely to ink a Rs 98,000-crore deal to build a bullet train network.

- The focus of Abe's visit will be on forging greater synergies between the two major Asian economies and take forward the special strategic ties.

- In the 9th annual Indo-Japan Summit talks tomorrow, Modi and Abe will review implementation of various decisions taken in the course of last one year to enhance economic ties, particularly in the trade and investment sector.

- After the talks, Abe will leave for Varanasi, which is Modi's parliamentary constituency. In Varanasi, the Japanese PM will attend Ganga Aarti at the famous Dasaswamedh Ghat. Modi will accompany Abe during his nearly four-and-a-half-hour-long visit to Varanasi. The duo will return to Delhi in the evening. It may be noted that Abe had accompanied Modi during his visit to Kyoto last year.

- In Delhi, Abe will call on President Pranab Mukherjee.

- The Japanese PM will also attend a Japan-India innovation seminar and interact with a group of business leaders.