Minister Abe's talk will focus on Prime Minister Modi’s recent visit to Japan. The talk will provide insights into the key meetings held during the visit, the outcomes that emerged, and the broader implications for the evolving Japan-India partnership. The Minister will also share perspectives on upcoming collaborative initiatives, regional and global significance of the bilateral relationship, and how both nations are working to deepen cooperation across areas.

Bio:

Upon his graduation from the University of Tokyo, Mr. ABE Noriaki joined Japan’s foreign service in 1997. He studied at Duke University and Tufts University in the U.S. on his educational leave with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) before working at the Embassy of Japan in Washington, D.C. (2000-2002). After returning to the headquarters in Tokyo, Mr. ABE worked extensively on the Indo-Pacific regional issues, engaging vigorously bilateral relations with Southeast Asia, consolidating Japan-U.S. Security Arrangements, enhancing multi-faceted relationship with Republic of Korea (ROK), and working on the North Korea’snuclear, missile and abduction issues. In his capacity of policy coordination, he dealt with such complex and sensitive matters as creating narratives on war-related history, shaping stable and constructive relations with Peoples’ Republic of China (PRC), and promoting UN Security Council reform. He was assigned successively to the Embassy in Beijing (2013) and the Delegation to the Organization of Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) in Paris (2015). Returning to Tokyo, Mr. Abe joined the G7/G20 Sherpa team of MOFA (2018) and worked for the Osaka G20 Summit in 2019. His experience and expertise in multilateral economic cooperation led him into the position of Director for International Trade (WTO/WIPO). He was seconded to the Crisis Management Section of the Cabinet Secretariat in 2021, before assigned to the Director on Press Affairs of MOFA in 2023. Since August, 2024, Mr. ABE has been posted to the Embassy of Japan in India as Minister on Political Affairs.

He has served as an English interpreter to Their Majesties the Emperor and Empress of Japan, as well as several Prime Ministers including Mr. ABE Shinzo, who addressed the India’s Parliament by his speech “Confluence of Two Seas” in August, 2007. He speaks French, Chinese and Korean. He is married with Mayuko, and has a son and a daughter.