Ishiba to Visit Vietnam, Philippines Starting on Sunday

   Tokyo, April 23 (Jiji Press)--Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba will visit Vietnam and the Philippines from Sunday to April 30, Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshimasa Hayashi said Wednesday.
   Through talks with leaders of the two Southeast Asian countries, Ishiba aims to reaffirm economic and security cooperation and to promote efforts to ensure a free and open Indo-Pacific.
   "Strengthening ties with Southeast Asia, a center of global growth and strategically important location, is a key priority for Japanese diplomacy," Hayashi said at a press conference.
   Ishiba visited Malaysia and Indonesia, two other Southeast Asian countries, in January.

(2025/04/23-12:54)