Japan PM Takaichi to Visit S. Korea for Summit from Tues.

Tokyo, May 15 (Jiji Press)–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. 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. Takaichi’s trip to Andong follows Lee’s visit to the prime minister’s home prefecture of Nara in western Japan in January. The South Korean presidential office expressed hope that the visit will serve as an opportunity to expand the shuttle diplomacy to many regional cities, deepen the relationship and trust between the two leaders and solidify the foundation for the future-oriented development of bilateral relations. END [Copyright The Jiji Press, Ltd.]