Tokyo, Oct. 27 (Jiji Press)–Japanese Defense Minister Shinjiro Koizumi said Tuesday that he will visit the Philippines from Wednesday to Friday to attend meetings related to the Association of Southeast Asian Nations. Koizumi will attend a meeting of defense ministers from ASEAN member states and partner countries including Japan, where he is set to explain the progress in Tokyo’s efforts to revise the country’s three key security-related documents at year-end. He will also hold a meeting with only ASEAN members’ defense ministers. “We will stress the importance of holding dialogue and increasing our ability to prevent conflicts,” Koizumi told a news conference Tuesday. He also expressed a willingness to have bilateral meetings with counterparts from the United States, South Korea and the Philippines. END [Copyright The Jiji Press, Ltd.]
