Prime Minister Fumio Kishida is scheduled to visit Egypt, Ghana, Kenya and Mozambique during Japan's Golden Week holidays starting late April, ahead of the Group of Seven summit in Hiroshima in May, the government said Tuesday.
Chief Cabinet Secretary Hirokazu Matsuno, the government's top spokesman, said at a press conference that confirming cooperation with major African countries to tackle global issues is "significant" for Japan, which holds the G-7 presidency for this year.
Kishida is expected to make a seven-day trip from April 29, government sources said. It will be his first visit to Africa since he took office in October 2021.
With the G-7 summit, which will be held in the prime minister's home constituency, fast approaching, Kishida has expressed his willingness to strengthen ties with the "Global South," a term that collectively refers to developing nations south of the equator.
Since Russia invaded Ukraine in February 2022, many developing countries, including in Africa, have sought to avoid taking sides.
