Tokyo, 20 April, /AJMEDIA
New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern will visit Japan from Wednesday and hold talks with Prime Minister Fumio Kishida.
Japan aims to deepen bilateral political, economic and security cooperation with New Zealand under their “strategic cooperative partnership” based on universal values such as democracy, the rule of law and human rights, Chief Cabinet Secretary Hirokazu Matsuno said Tuesday.
“We will seek to strengthen our partnership to realize a free and open Indo-Pacific,” Matsuno told a regular press briefing.
Russia’s invasion of Ukraine has raised concern about its ramifications for the Indo-Pacific region where the influence of an assertive China is growing.
The four-day visit through Saturday will be Ardern’s second trip to Japan as prime minister.
