Prime Minister Narendra Modi is among the world leaders attending the funeral of Shinzo Abe, who died in July after being shot at during a campaign speech. Hundreds of world leaders and thousands of people gathered in Tokyo to pay their respects to Japan’s longest-serving prime minister.
Here are the most recent updates on Shinzo Abe’s funeral:
1. PM Modi shared details of his Tokyo visit in a tweet on Monday night, saying he would be paying his respects to Abe, whom he remembered as “a dear friend and a great champion of India-Japan friendship.”
2. Prior to the funeral, Modi met with Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida. “Today, in this hour of grief, we gather. I had a lengthy conversation with former Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe the last time I visited. India mourns Shinzo Abe and remembers him and Japan “PM Modi was quoted.
3. “I’ve faith that under your leadership, India-Japan relations will deepen and scale new heights and we will be able to play an appropriate role in solving the problems of the world,” he further said.
4. PM Modi met with Abe several times during his tenure. When Abe’s death was confirmed on July 8, PM Modi paid tribute to “one of my dearest friends, Shinzo Abe.” “He was a towering global statesman, a brilliant leader, and a brilliant administrator.” “He devoted his life to making Japan and the world a better place,” he wrote.
5. Among those in attendance are US Vice President Kamala Harris, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, South Korean Prime Minister Han Duck-soo, Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, Vietnamese President Nguyen Xuan Phuc, and British Foreign Secretary James Cleverly.
6. In response to criticism about the event’s cost, Japanese Prime Minister Kishida stated that the country’s longest-serving premier deserves the honour. The funeral will be held at Tokyo’s Budokan hall. According to reports, the government estimated that 1.7 billion yen (USD 11.8 million) would be required for the venue, security, transportation, and guest accommodations.
7. As expected, Tokyo experienced increased security as a large number of high-profile visitors arrived.
8. The event was attended by over 4,000 people, including Japanese lawmakers.
9. Abe’s ashes were carried to the venue, and an honour guard fired 19 rounds from a cannon. The former Japanese Prime Minister had previously received a private funeral.
10. On July 8, Abe was assassinated while delivering a speech for an election campaign.