Japan’s PM Takaichi heads to South Korea for landmark summit next week
Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi will visit South Korea for two days from Tuesday to hold a summit with South Korean President Lee Jae-myung, the two countries' governments announced Friday, Jiji Press reports.
Takaichi will visit the president's hometown of Andong in North Gyeongsang Province, eastern South Korea, to further build rapport as part of the so-called shuttle diplomacy, or mutual visits by the Asian neighbors' leaders to each other's countries.
"In the current strategic environment, Japanese-South Korean relations and Japanese-South Korean-U.S. cooperation are becoming increasingly important," Deputy Chief Cabinet Secretary Kei Sato told a press conference Friday.
"We hope to use (the summit) as an opportunity to develop bilateral relations in a stable and future-oriented way," Sato said, adding that the two leaders will discuss cooperation in light of the ongoing turmoil in the Middle East.
According to the South Korean presidential office, Takaichi and Lee are expected to confirm stronger cooperation in fields including the economy. The two will attend a summit, a joint press conference and a dinner on Tuesday.
Earlier, it was reported that Takaichi was planning a trip to South Korea.
