TOKYO: Outgoing Japanese Prime Minister KISHIDA Fumio is finalizing plans to visit the United States in late September for the U.N. General Assembly and a possible meeting with President Joe Biden, the Yomiuri newspaper reported on Saturday.

The visit may take place for several days starting on Sept. 22, the report said, citing multiple government sources it did not identify.

Kishida on Wednesday dropped out of the leadership race for the ruling Liberal Democratic Party, meaning he will step down as prime minister when his term as party leader ends in late September.

The date of the LDP election is not yet set. It could be as early as Sept. 20, in which case Kishida would likely address the General Assembly after Japan’s parliament, where the LDP has a majority, has chosen his replacement as prime minister, according to the Yomiuri.

Some in the Japanese government think Kishida’s successor should not develop close ties with Biden, the newspaper said.

Biden, who dropped out of November’s U.S. presidential election, was replaced as the Democratic Party nominee last month by Vice President Kamala Harris. She faces the Republican candidate, former President Donald Trump.

Reuters