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Tokyo, July 4 (ANI): External Affairs Minister S. M Krishna, who is on a four-day visit to Japan, on Saturday inaugurated the new chancery building of the Indian Embassy in Tokyo.

Krishna described it as the fitting symbol of expanding ties between India and Japan.

“This new building, located in the sylvan surroundings of Tokyo’s most famous cherry blossom boulevard, is a fitting symbol of the expanding partnership between our two countries and a reflection of India as a modern and great nation,” Krishna said.

H said the Ministry of External Affairs has given priority attention to augmenting the infrastructure of Indian diplomatic missions abroad, in keeping with the changing global environment and the great transformations, which are taking place in India.

He said the Tokyo construction project was among the first to be completed. “It sets high benchmarks, which I hope will be emulated in the Ministry’s projects in other capitals. During my brief tour of the excellent facilities offered by this new chancery, I have been struck most by the care and attention that has gone into ensuring the highest standards of design and execution. The functional requirements of an embassy have been ensured in an ambience of architectural elegance using some of the most advanced building technologies extant,” he added.

The building and its cultural centre will serve as a base for Indians and Japanese for further strengthening the ties, he said.

Plants Associates Inc. has built the chancery with the help of the Shimizu Corporation, a construction firm.

Later, he also visited the Asakusa Shrine in the city.

The shrine, which is also known as Sanja-sama (”Shrine of the Three Gods”), is one of the most famous Shinto shrines of Tokyo. It is located in Asakusa and honors the three men who founded the Senso-ji. The shrine is part of a larger grouping of sacred buildings in the area that have been hosting a number of Buddhist and Shinto festivals for centuries.

Krishna had earlier participated in the third annual bilateral strategic dialogue between India and Japan.

Krishna held discussions on a wide array of bilateral and global issues including disarmament and climate change, during his participation in the strategic dialogue with Japanese Foreign Minister Hirofumi Nakasone. (ANI)