Japan Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba Arrives in Laos for ASEAN Summit; First Diplomatic Visit as Leader

By Kenta Kamimura / Yomiuri Shimbun Staff Writer

14:26 JST, October 10, 2024

VIENTIANE — Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba arrived in the Laotian capital Thursday, in his first diplomatic visit as Japan’s leader, to attend an Association of Southeast Asian Nations summit and other related meetings.

Ishiba is set to confirm with ASEAN leaders a partnership to maintain and strengthen a free and open international order based on the rule of law. The leaders are expected to discuss the situation in the East and South China Seas and economic cooperation. Ishiba will then attend an ASEAN plus Three leaders’ meeting.

In the afternoon, Ishiba will meet Chinese Premier Li Qiang in his first Japan-China summit meeting and agree on a policy of resolving outstanding issues through dialogue, with the aim of building constructive and stable bilateral relations.

Ishiba will also hold his first bilateral summit with South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol to strengthen cooperation prior to the 60th anniversary of the normalization of diplomatic relations between the two countries next year.