Japan foreign minister heads to U.S., Europe to bolster security ties

Kamikawa to also discuss Ukraine, Arctic policy with Western partners

Japanese Foreign Minister Yoko Kamikawa will visit the U.S., Finland, Sweden, Turkey and other countries. (Photo by Yuki Nakao)

RYO NEMOTO, Nikkei staff writer

January 6, 2024 02:01 JST

TOKYO -- Japanese Foreign Minister Yoko Kamikawa departed for a tour of Europe and North America on Friday, seeking their continued cooperation on security in the Indo-Pacific region even as they grapple with ongoing wars in Ukraine and the Middle East.

Stops on the tour include the U.S., Canada, Poland, the Netherlands and Turkey. Kamikawa will also visit Finland and Sweden, which had long maintained military neutrality until moving to join NATO following Russia's invasion of Ukraine.