According a pivotal role for India in Japan’s new foreign policy of building an “arc of freedom and prosperity” from Europe to East Asia, Japan’s Prime Minister Shinzo Abe arrived here on Tuesday on a three-day visit to add substance to the Indo-US “global and strategic partnership.” 
In keeping with the focus on building strong ties with India, Abe arrived with the largest-ever Japanese business delegation – more than 200 CEOs representing all prominent multinational companies. 
Ahead of the Prime Minister’s arrival, a top Japanese official made the right kind of comments to create the atmospherics for the summit-level talks on Wednesday, he said Japan would respond “positively” to India’s efforts to convince the Nuclear Suppliers Group (NSG) to ease its guidelines to allow India to have international nuclear trade. Japan is one of the key NSG members which till recently entertained doubts about giving India access to international nuclear fuel, material and technology. 
Indian Foreign Secretary Shivshankar Menon told newsmen on Wednesday that Prime Minister Manmohan Singh will take up the NSG issue with his Japanese counterpart, notwithstanding the ongoing political storm in the country over the issue. 
The nuclear issue is only one aspect of the agenda for summit talks. Abe, who will be bestowed the rare honour of addressing a members of Parliament on Wednesday, will discuss with Singh the whole gamut of issues of interest to the two countries with the objective of expanding and strengthening ties in diplomatic, strategic, defence and economic fields.  
The talks are expected to give a big boost to large-scale Japanese investments in India in multi-billion infrastructure projects. The two sides will also discuss issues relating to early finalisation of a comprehensive economic partnership agreement to give impetus to bilateral trade and investment.