TOKYO: Japan's new Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba will hold talks this week on the sidelines of the ASEAN summit in Laos, a top official said on Tuesday, meeting China's premier among others according to media reports. Ishiba will visit Laos from Thursday through Saturday "to attend ASEAN-related summits", deputy chief cabinet secretary Keiichiro Tachibana said, referring to the Association of Southeast Asian Nations regional bloc.
On the sidelines of the multilateral meetings, Ishiba plans to have bilateral summits which are still being coordinated, Tachibana told reporters. Media reports said these will include talks with Chinese Premier Li Qiang, South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Anthony Albanese of Australia. "ASEAN-related summits are important forums where major countries in the Indo-Pacific region gather," Tachibana said. "Through these meetings Japan will confirm that we will strengthen Japan-ASEAN cooperation as ASEAN's trustworthy partner," he said. — AFP
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