Mr. Taro Aso, Minister for Foreign Affairs, to Visit India and Pakistan

December 27, 2005

Mr. Taro Aso, Minister for Foreign Affairs, will visit India and Pakistan from January 3 (Tue) to 6 (Fri).
During his stay in India, Mr. Aso will follow up Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi's visit to India and will exchange views with leading figures of the Government of India on wide-ranging issues, such as bilateral relations and the international situation, to further develop specific cooperative measures from the strategic viewpoint.
During his stay in Pakistan, Mr. Aso will have consultations with leading figures of the Government of Pakistan on wide-ranging issues, such as the fight against terrorism and assistance for the earthquake disaster, to further strengthen the bilateral relationship in the wake of Prime Minister Koizumi's visit to Pakistan and Japan's assistance after the disastrous earthquake in Pakistan.
The upcoming visit to India and Pakistan will be Foreign Minister Aso's first visit to Asia for bilateral consultations.

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