LONDON: British Foreign Secretary James Cleverly will attend a state funeral for former Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, which will be held in Tokyo on Tuesday, the British government said Sunday.

The foreign secretary will make a three-day trip from Monday to Japan, South Korea and Singapore as a representative of the new administration of British Prime Minister Liz Truss, launched earlier this month, to highlight that Britain attaches importance to the Indo-Pacific region.

“As I start my visit to the region in Japan, my thoughts are with the Japanese people as we remember the legacy of former Prime Minister Abe, their longest serving prime minister who brought our two countries closer together,” Cleverly said in a statement.

During his stay in Japan, Cleverly will hold talks with Japanese Foreign Minister Yoshimasa Hayashi. The two are expected to discuss their countries’ plan to jointly develop a new fighter jet and Britain’s application for its membership in the Trans-Pacific Partnership free trade pact, which includes Japan and other Pacific-rim countries.

In South Korea, Cleverly will meet with Yoon Suk-yeol, the country’s president. The foreign secretary will hold talks with Singaporean Deputy Prime Minister Lawrence Wong in Singapore.

JIJI Press