Foreign Minister Fumio Kishida said Tuesday he will visit Brunei from Saturday to attend ASEAN-related meetings to discuss regional and international affairs and convey Japan's positions to participants.
Kishida, citing the importance of preparations, said no concrete decisions had been made regarding potential bilateral talks with his Chinese counterpart, Wang Yi, on the sidelines of the meetings.
"While our country has always kept the door open for dialogue, no decision has been made at all at this point," Kishida told a news conference.
Kishida declined comment on possible contact with North Korean Foreign Minister Pak Ui Chun, who is also expected to attend the ASEAN Regional Forum in Brunei on July 2, saying Tokyo has yet to ascertain who Pyongyang will send to the meeting.
Kishida is scheduled to return to Japan on July 3.
On the sidelines of the regional forum, Kishida, U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry and South Korean Foreign Minister Yun Byung-se plan to meet July 1 to discuss North Korea's nuclear and missile threats, according to diplomatic sources. Kishida and Yun are also expected to sit down together after the trilateral meeting.