Japanese PM due to visit Vietnam

Japan’s new Prime Minister Naoto Kan will visit Vietnam for the ASEAN Summit and other related meetings due to take place in Hanoi this October.

This was announced after telephone talks between Japanese Foreign Minister Katsuya Okada and Vietnamese Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Pham Gia Khiem on June 9, according to the Japanese News Agency, Jiji.

Japan is an important strategic partner for Vietnam and the country is attaching great importance to the new Japanese government leader’s visit, Mr Khiem was quoted as saying.

The same day, Mr Okada also called his Indonesian counterpart Marty Natalegawa during which he underlined the new PM’s policy of developing Japan’s relations with ASEAN member countries. He will attend several ASEAN related meetings in July.