TOKYO -- Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida has a packed diplomatic calendar taking him to regions including the Middle East and Southeast Asia, where Tokyo aims to supplement a weak U.S. presence by focusing on economic ties over values such as democracy and human rights.
Kishida will visit Europe from Tuesday, then return home briefly before traveling to Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates and Qatar from July 16 to July 19. This marks the start of a string of diplomatic engagements running into the end of the year.
