TOKYO: Japanese Prime Minister KISHIDA Fumio is seen visiting Germany in July for talks with Chancellor Olaf Scholz, informed sources said Tuesday.

The trip is aimed at strengthening bilateral cooperation in economic security, including protecting supply chains for critical minerals and semiconductors.

Kishida will visit Germany around the time of the NATO summit in Washington to be held from July 9 to 11.

Japan and Germany signed in January an acquisition and cross-servicing agreement, or ACSA, for the exchange of fuels and ammunition between the Japanese Self-Defense Forces and the German military. The accord was approved by the Diet, Japan’s parliament, earlier this month.

Kishida and Scholz will exchange opinions on the expansion of bilateral security cooperation, the situation in Ukraine and China’s coercive moves.

JIJI Press