New Delhi, Jan 22 (IANS): Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe is paying a three-day official visit to India from Saturday that will see him grace the Republic Day parade as chief guest and also hold the annual bilateral summit with Prime Minister Manmohan Singh.

Abe, accompanied by his wife Akie Abe, will arrive in the afternoon of Jan 25 and will be holding the annual summit dialogue with Manmohan Singh in the evening, during which a number of agreements are due to be inked.

The next day, Abe would be the chief guest at the Republic Day celebrations.

The discussions between Abe and Manmohan Singh "will add substance and content to the India-Japan Strategic and Global Partnership", an official statement said Wednesday.

The Japanese prime minister will also call on President Pranab Mukherjee.

Senior Japanese politician Natsuo Yamaguchi, chief of the New Komeito Party, during a visit here earlier this month, described the gesture of Abe being invited to be chief guest as "an epic signal" of the bilateral friendship.

The New Komeito Party is the junior coalition partner of Abe's ruling Liberal Democratic Party.

"This is the first time a Japanese prime minister will be chief guest (at the Republic Day parade). This speaks of the importance India and Japan are giving to their ties. I believe it will send an epic signal for strengthening of the partnership," he said.

Abe's visit comes after the visit of Japanese royal couple Emperor Akihito and Empress Michiko.