Japan Prime Minister Ishiba Starts Visit to Malaysia, Indonesia; Seeks to Strengthen Ties with Global South

The Yomiuri Shimbun

13:44 JST, January 9, 2025

Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba on Thursday began an overseas trip during which he will visit first Malaysia and then Indonesia, departing Haneda Airport in the morning.

This is the first time for Ishiba to visit a foreign country for the purpose of bilateral diplomacy, with the exception of international conferences he has attended. He aims to strengthen ties in areas such as economy, energy and security with the Global South, a group of emerging and developing countries with a growing presence.

“In an increasingly uncertain international community, I want to place greater importance than ever on our relations with Southeast Asia,” he said at the Prime Minister’s Office prior to his departure.

Malaysia is this year’s chair of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN). Ishiba was scheduled to discuss cooperation in human resources development and decarbonization for sustainable economic development at a meeting with his Malaysian counterpart on Friday.

On Saturday, Ishiba will hold a summit with the president of Indonesia, which has the largest population in ASEAN, to talk about holding a 2-plus-2 foreign and defense ministerial meeting this year and cooperation on defense equipment.