Japanese PM to visit India in August

Aims to build a closer alliance with New Delhi and build on cultural ties

TOKYO: Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe will visit India, Indonesia and Malaysia in August, the government said today, as he tries to build a closer alliance with New Delhi and builds on Southeast Asian ties.

The Japanese leader will travel first to Indonesia, then to India and Malaysia for one week starting on August 19, the Prime Minister’s office said. Abe has long championed nurturing ties with fellow democracy India to balance Japan’s frequent tensions with China, which is due largely to wartime history.

Prime Minister Manmohan Singh visited Tokyo in December, becoming the first Indian premier here in five years, and agreed to boost business ties which have lagged behind the two countries’ political relationship.

Trade Minister Akira Amari is due to visit India from June 30 to July 4 with a major business delegation to announce a Japanese initiative to develop the South Asian country’s creaky infrastructure. Japan has also put an emphasis on ties with Southeast Asia, including through business dealings.

Abe has signed a free-trade deal with Malaysia and the framework for a deal with Indonesia, which is the largest supplier of liquified natural gas to resource-poor Japan.