Former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe is set to visit Malaysia as a special envoy, a source familiar with the matter said Wednesday, as next year marks the 40th anniversary of the Southeast Asian country adopting its Look East policy aimed at emulating Japan's work ethic.
The visit was mentioned during a meeting between Abe and Prime Minister Fumio Kishida, who later told reporters that the two spent time discussing foreign affairs and economic issues.
"We were able to exchange meaningful opinions on issues that will be talked about in upcoming political developments," Kishida said after the meeting, the first between them since he became the country's prime minister in early October.
Other topics discussed during the meeting, which lasted about 30 minutes at Abe's office, included Japan's relations with Russia and the forthcoming supplementary budget that will fund economic and COVID-19 measures, according to the source.
When Abe became head of the largest faction within the Liberal Democratic Party last Thursday, he said the supplementary budget should require fiscal spending of over ¥30 trillion.
