Shinzo Abe, the former prime minister of Japan, passed away on Friday. Prime Minister Narendra Modi declared Saturday a day of national mourning.
He wrote a series of tweets in which he expressed his astonishment and sadness at the unfortunate death of Shinzo Abe, one of his closest friends. He was a great leader, an extraordinary administrator, and a towering figure in world politics. He committed his life to improving both Japan and the world.
It “goes back many years,” Modi recalled when speaking of his longtime relationship with Abe. We became friends after I became PM because I got to know him while serving as Gujarat’s chief executive. I have always been profoundly impacted by his astute observations on the economy and world politics. I had the chance to speak with Mr. Abe yet again and discuss a variety of topics on my most recent trip to Japan. As usual, he was astute and humorous. I was oblivious to the fact that this would be our final encounter. My sincere condolences to the Japanese people and his family.
He posted an image of a recent meeting with Shinzo Abe and wrote: “Sharing a picture from my most recent meeting with my close buddy, Shinzo Abe in Tokyo. He had recently taken over as the Chairman of the Japan-India Association and was always passionate about fostering ties between the two countries.
