And they succeeded. Their efforts were rewarded with the resounding success of Prime Minister Mori s visit to India, in August 2000. India has tried hard and successfully come to terms with the once-alienated international community. Thus, our bilateral relationship has achieved a paradigm shift based on the Global Partnership. If you look at the world atlas, especially Asian geography, this is self-explanatory.
China is in between Japan and India.
We, as two mature democracies of the region, are and should be stabilizing factors in the equation of Asian security. India and Japan cover long sea-lanes indispensable for trade and economic interchange. Secondly, we are excellent partners in economic terms, as our economies have many complementary features. The potential of our economic cooperation is immense. India is probably the last frontier for foreign investors as the biggest market.