Tokyo, July 04: Paying rich tributes to the Indian
diaspora here, External Affairs Minister S M Krishna on Saturday
said they are playing a key role in building "new bridges"
between India and Japan.
"You have kept the culture, spirit and the idea of India
alive in your adopted home. Your contributions to sharing the
dynamism of the new India which is emerging today are equally
noteworthy," he said at a gathering of Indian community here.
There are some 21,000 people of Indian origin in Japan
and a quarter of them have come here in the past three years.
Indians first came to Japan about 140 years ago.
"As you help to build new bridges between India and
Japan, I am confident that you will do so with diligence,
creativity and enterprise that have become the hallmark of the
Indian diaspora all over the world," Krishna, who is currently
on a four-day official visit to Japan, said.
Hailing the stellar role played by the Indian community
in promoting friendship between the peoples of India and
Japan, Krishna appreciated the close links the diaspora has
maintained with the motherland.
"You have cultivated deep bonds with the Japanese
community and enjoy their confidence and trust. You are
helping drive bilateral economic relations," the minister told
the gathering of businessmen, academicians and people from the
world of art and culture.
Bureau Report
First Published: Saturday, July 04, 2009, 19:29