Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba will visit Laos this week to attend summits related to the Association of Southeast Asian Nations in his diplomatic debut as national leader, a government spokesman said Tuesday.
Ishiba, who became prime minister on Oct. 1, will join some of the meetings in Vientiane involving 10-member ASEAN, China and South Korea, among others, for two days from Thursday, Deputy Chief Cabinet Secretary Keiichiro Tachibana said at a press conference.
Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba speaks during a House of Representatives plenary session in parliament in Tokyo on Oct. 8, 2024. (Kyodo)
“The series of meetings will confirm that Japan, as a trusted partner, will strengthen cooperation with ASEAN,” Tachibana said.
Ishiba will send out messages regarding Japan’s positions on regional and global issues at the “important” forum for leaders from the Indo-Pacific region, the spokesman added.
On the sidelines of the gatherings, Ishiba will also aim to hold bilateral talks with the leaders of the two East Asian neighbors, as well as of ASEAN members, according to Japanese government sources.
Ishiba was elected prime minister in the Diet after winning the ruling Liberal Democratic Party’s leadership race late last month, which followed former Prime Minister Fumio Kishida’s sudden announcement in August that he would not seek reelection as LDP chief.
Before leaving for Southeast Asia, Ishiba is set to dissolve the House of Representatives on Wednesday for a general election scheduled for Oct. 27.
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AloJapan.com