New Delhi | Akie Abe, wife of former Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, on Thursday met Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who said the late leader played a defining role in elevating India-Japan relations to new heights.

Akie Abe, along with Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, on Wednesday jointly inaugurated the 'Shinzo Abe Memorial Corridor' at the Rudraksh Convention Centre in Varanasi, the prime minister's Lok Sabha constituency.

Shinzo Abe was a close friend of Modi.

"Pleased to meet Mrs. Akie Abe, wife of late former Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe. Deeply value her enduring association with India. Abe San was a dear friend and a visionary leader who played a defining role in elevating India-Japan relations to new heights," Modi said in a post on X.

The prime minister said the inauguration of the Abe Memorial Corridor at the Rudraksh Convention Centre in Varanasi is a fitting tribute to his lasting contribution to India-Japan friendship.

Born on September 21, 1954, Shinzo Abe was assassinated on July 8, 2022.