Prime Minister Shinzo Abe will visit Canada and the United States for five days from Monday to hold talks with Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper and attend the U.N. General Assembly in New York, Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga said Wednesday.
During talks with Harper, Abe is expected to discuss bolstering cooperation in the ongoing Trans-Pacific Partnership free trade negotiations, as well as in the energy field for exporting of shale gas to Japan, the top government spokesman said.
"Canada is a partner that shares the same basic values in the Asia-Pacific region, and it is important for Japan to promote further cooperation in various fields," Suga told reporters.
Suga said Abe will deliver a speech at the General Assembly in New York on Sept. 26 to explain "Japan's vision and stance in addressing challenges facing the international community."
Foreign Minister Fumio Kishida will also visit the United States from Monday through Friday to attend a series of meetings and events on the sidelines of the General Assembly, the Foreign Ministry said.
Kishida is expected to hold talks with British Foreign Secretary William Hague and Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov during his stay.