PM Narendra Modi held a bilateral meeting with his Japanese counterpart Fumio Kishida in Italy, affirming that bilateral ties with Japan will continue to receive priority during his third term. They also discussed the Mumbai-Ahmedabad high speed rail project. Sources said PM Modi and Kishida committed to expediting work on the project. While the bullet train project is reported to be facing a five-year delay, Japanese authorities said earlier this year that work on all sections has started now and they are satisfied with the progress.