Canadian PM Carney to Visit Japan in March

New York, Feb. 23 (Jiji Press)--Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney will visit Japan as part of a three-nation Indo-Pacific tour starting Thursday, the prime minister's office said Monday.

Amid ongoing trade friction stemming from the high-tariff policy of U.S. President Donald Trump's administration, Canada appears eager to promote trade diversification and attract fresh investment through the prime minister's 10-day trip to the three countries, also including India and Australia.

According to the Japanese government, Carney will visit Japan on March 6-7 on the final leg of the tour and hold a bilateral summit with Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi. The two leaders will also hold a working dinner.

The Carney-Takaichi meeting is designed to "strengthen mutual investment and partnerships in advanced manufacturing, critical minerals and food security," the Canadian prime minister's office said. They are also expected to discuss ways to enhance security cooperation, including to support a free and open Indo-Pacific, it added.

Japan's Chief Cabinet Secretary Minoru Kihara said at a press conference that Canada is "an important strategic partner for the realization of the free and open Indo-Pacific."

[Copyright The Jiji Press, Ltd.]