Like many Japanese, Prime Minister Yoshiro Mori will travel overseas in the Golden Week holiday period, which starts April 29. He will have little time to relax, however. Mori, who will chair the Group of Eight summit in southern Japan in July, will visit the participating nations to prepare for the summit.
Mori, who replaced ailing Keizo Obuchi as prime minister early this month, has little experience in diplomacy. In the three months to the summit, Mori will have to promote coordination among G8 nations on the main topics of discussion. The success of the summit will hinge on Mori's diplomatic skills as chairman.
Mori will go first to Russia for talks with President-elect Vladimir Putin April 29. In early May, he will visit the leaders of Italy, France, Germany, Britain and Canada before meeting with U.S. President Bill Clinton in Washington.