TOKYO (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 19th October, 2022) Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida plans to visit Australia from October 21-23, Chief Cabinet Secretary Hirokazu Matsuno said on Wednesday.
"Kishida will visit Australia from October 21-23, if circumstances permit. He will meet with Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese in the city of Perth in the west of the country. Japan and Australia are special strategic partners as they share common core values and strategic benefits," Matsuno said at a press conference.
The parties will discuss cooperation in the field of security, defense and economy, as well as issues of interaction within the Trans-Pacific Partnership and the Quadrilateral Security Dialogue (Quad).
Kishida and Albanese will reportedly discuss the issues of China's increasing presence and North Korea's missile launches in particular, as well as the realization of a free and open Indo-Pacific principle.
Albanese has already visited Japan twice - in May and in September. The first time was for the Quad summit and the second time for the state funeral of former Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe.
Kishida planned to visit Australia back in January, but the COVID-19 pandemic disrupted these plans.
