Shinzo Abe and Tony Abbot will meet to strengthen bilateral ties.
Japanese PM Shinzo Abe is all set to visit Australia in July, 2014 to make a rare address at the parliament. The visit is being seen an attempt to foster the “strong friendship” between the Japanese PM and his Australian counterpart PM Tony Abbot.
Abe’s visit will be scheduled between July 7 – 10 and will include visits to Perth and the Pilbara mining area. The upcoming visit by Abe will mark the first visit by a Japanese leader to Australia since 2002.
Abbot announced the visit and said, “Australia and Japan share a strong friendship based on common values, growing commercial and people-to-people links and shared interests”.
The Australian PM added that they are both committed to the preservation of ideals such as prosperity, peace and stability in the Asia Pacific region. The visit of Japanese PM to Australia has come in less than a month since the Australian PM was in Tokyo. The two countries will sign a free trade deal in Canberra, known as the Japan-Australia Economic Partnership Agreement.
During Abbot’s visit to Tokyo, the two countries had finalized the much awaited free trade deal. After the Australian trip, Abe is expected to head to Papua New Guinea, where he will become the first Japanese Prime Minister in three decades to visit the oceanic region.
Photo Credits: Radio Australia
