Tokyo– Akie Abe, wife of the late Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, said her husband’s connection with India went far beyond politics, highlighting his long friendship with Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
“My husband’s ties with India went beyond his role as Prime Minister. With Prime Minister Modi, especially, the two of them could feel each other’s warmth simply by exchanging a smile. There were many things my husband valued and cared for. It is my hope to carry them in my own helpful way,” she said at an event in Tokyo on Wednesday.
Shinzo Abe played a key role in raising India-Japan ties to a Special Strategic and Global Partnership. His bond with Modi stretched back to Modi’s years as Gujarat’s Chief Minister, well before becoming India’s Prime Minister.
The occasion was the first-ever India-Japan beauty contest, hosted by Connect India Japan, which showcased cultural exchange, women’s empowerment, and entrepreneurship. Chiharu Sakamoto of Japan won the Ms. India Japan 2025 crown, while India’s Shelley Singh was named first runner-up.
Akie Abe praised Connect India Japan founder Nupur Tewari for launching the initiative, saying it would help deepen people-to-people friendship between the two nations. The evening also featured Indian classical dance, Japanese music, and cross-cultural performances, followed by a gala dinner celebrating bilateral ties. (Source: IANS)
