Japanese PM to visit Ethiopia, Ghana next month

Mar 29, 2006 (TOKYO) — Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi is considering a trip to Ethiopia, Ghana and Sweden from 29 April to 5 May to deepen ties with the countries and Africa as a region, Chief Cabinet Secretary Shinzo Abe said Wednesday.

The trip to Ethiopia, where the African Union’s headquarters is located, and Ghana would be the first to the sub-Saharan region by a Japanese premier since Koizumi’s predecessor Yoshiro Mori visited South Africa, Kenya and Nigeria in January 2001, he said.

Koizumi’s visit to Sweden would be the first-ever by a Japanese prime minister, Abe, Tokyo’s top spokesman, added.

(Kyodo)