Bangladeshi Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina said Saturday that Bangladesh will abandon its bid for a nonpermanent seat on the U.N. Security Council for the 2016-2017 term and support Japan's candidacy.

Hasina announced the change after meeting with Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, who arrived in the capital, Dhaka, earlier in the day at the start of a three-day trip to Bangladesh and Sri Lanka.

Japan and Bangladesh had both vied for a seat for the Asia-Pacific region in an election to be held in October 2015. But Hasina hinted during her visit to Tokyo in May that Bangladesh would drop its bid in view of Japan's attempt.