TOKYO, April 26, 2024 (BSS/AFP) - Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida will
visit France, Brazil and Paraguay next week as his nation seeks to boost ties
with Latin America.
 
The six-day itinerary will see Kishida meet French President Emmanuel Macron
as well as Brazilian leader Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, the Japanese prime
minister's office said.

"This year, Brazil is chairing the G20 and Peru is chairing APEC. This is the
year of Latin America, and it is the focus of the world's attention",
government spokesman Yoshimasa Hayashi told a regular briefing.

"Japan would like to seize this opportunity to strengthen ties with Latin
American countries," he said.

In his meeting with Lula, Kishida is expected to sign a deal on bilateral
cooperation in areas from climate change to decarbonisation and other
environmental issues, Japanese news agency Kyodo News reported.

Kishida will also bring a delegation representing at least 40 companies,
eyeing greater Japanese investments in Brazil to bolster bilateral
cooperation on green technologies, the Nikkei daily reported.

Japanese auto giant Toyota said last month that it plans to invest 11 billion
reais ($2.2 billion) to beef up production of hybrid vehicles in Brazil.

Prior to his trek to Brazil, Kishida will attend an OECD meeting in France to
"lead the discussions on solutions to various economic and social issues",
his office added.