On July 8, Abe was shot and killed while attending a campaign event. As Japan's longest-serving prime minister whose life was cut short at age 67 in a shockingly violent - and rare - incident, Abe is only the second prime minister to get a state funeral.
Speaking about the prime minister's visit, Foreign Secretary Vinay Kwatra said, “PM Modi will be visiting Tokyo, Japan. He'll be leaving in a few hrs from now today to attend the state funeral of former PM of Japan Shinzo Abe. PM will attend state funeral ceremony at Budokan which would be followed by a greeting occasion at Akasaka Palace in Tokyo."
During the visit, he is also expected to call Abe's widow separately.
“We understand that representatives from over 100 countries, including more than 20 Heads of State & Heads of Govt, are expected to participate in the State funeral tomorrow."
The visit by PM will be an opportunity for him to honour memory of ex-PM Abe, who he considered a dear friend&a great champion of India-Japan relationship. PM Modi & late PM Abe had developed a personal bond of trust & friendship through their numerous interactions spanning over a decade, Kwatra added.
