TOKYO: Japanese Prime Minister KISHIDA Fumio said Tuesday that he will visit Lithuania and Belgium for four days from July 11.

During the visit, Kishida will attend a NATO summit to be held in the Lithuanian capital of Vilnius and hold a meeting with leaders of the European Union in Brussels.

The prime minister will also visit Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates and Qatar on July 16-19, his first trip to the Middle East since taking office in October 2021.

He unveiled the schedules at a meeting of executives of the ruling Liberal Democratic Party.

On the Middle East tour, Kishida said, “Japan aims to strengthen its global contributions at a time when the international situation is increasingly complex, while offering technological cooperation for the region’s efforts for carbon neutrality, in addition to engaging in resource diplomacy.”

A delegation of business leaders will accompany Kishida on his visit to the Middle East, according to the prime minister.

JIJI Press