Prime Minister Manmohan Singh [Images] and his wife Gursharan Kaur on Tuesday hosted a private dinner for Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and his wife, reflecting the importance accorded to the visiting dignitary.

Unveiling his concept of "broader Asia", Abe on Wednesday pitched in for closer cooperation between his country and India in defence, security and economic fields to create an "arc of freedom and prosperity" in the region.

Addressing the MPs in Parliament, he favoured early conclusion of the Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement to push economic relations and raise the volume of bilateral trade to $20 billion in the next three years.

Outlining the various fields in which the two countries can cooperate closely, he promised to help India in the field of energy by providing technology, but there was no mention of nuclear power.

Abe, the third Japanese prime minister to address the Parliament, also vowed to assist India in infrastructure development, particularly the Delhi-Mumbai and Delhi-Kolkata Dedicated Freight Corridors and Delhi-Mumbai Industrial Corridor.

Caption: Prime Minister Manmohan Singh at the ceremonial reception of Japan [Images] Prime Minister Shinzo Abe outside Rashtrapati Bhavan [Images], New Delhi, on Wednesday.

Photograph: PIB