Japan's Prime Minister Kishida to head for India

Japan's Prime Minister Kishida Fumio will head for India to meet his counterpart Narendra Modi and call for cooperation on global issues, such as the situation in Ukraine.

Kishida leaves Japan late Sunday night and returns home on Wednesday.

Japan is the chair of the Group of Seven nations this year and India serves as the chair of the Group of 20 economies.

India is also considered one of the leaders among emerging and developing nations collectively known as the Global South. Some of these countries are said to be taking a neutral position on the situation in Ukraine.

Kishida has repeatedly expressed the wish to enhance ties with Global South countries.

When he meets Modi, he plans to stress the importance of international order based on the rule of law.

Kishida also plans to unveil concrete plans to promote a free and open Indo-Pacific, which Japan advocates, in his speech to a think tank in India.