U.S. Vice President to Attend Abe's State Funeral: White House

Washington, Sept. 7(Jiji Press)--U.S. Vice President Kamala Harris will attend a state funeral for former Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, which will be held in Tokyo on Sept. 27, the White House said Wednesday.

"Her visit will honor the legacy of Prime Minister Abe and underscore the importance of his leadership in championing the alliance between the United States and Japan and advancing a free and open Indo-Pacific," the vice president's press secretary Kirsten Allen said in a statement.

Harris will leave the United States on Sept. 25. After visiting Japan, she will fly to Seoul on Sept. 29 and hold talks with South Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol.

Meeting with senior Japanese and South Korean government officials, Harris plans to discuss the strengthening of the Japan-U.S. and U.S.-South Korea alliances, as well as economic and security issues in the Indo-Pacific region.

Harris will visit Japan and South Korea for the first time since she took office in January last year. On behalf of U.S. President Joe Biden, she will lead the presidential delegation to the state funeral for the slain former Japanese prime minister.

[Copyright The Jiji Press, Ltd.]