Japanese Foreign Minister Taro Kono on official visit to Singapore

SINGAPORE - Japan's Minister for Foreign Affairs Taro Kono is on a three-day official visit to Singapore from Saturday (Feb 10), Singapore's Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA) said in a press release.

During his visit, Mr Kono will call on Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong at the Istana and be hosted to breakfast by Minister for Foreign Affairs Vivian Balakrishnan.

Mr Kono will also visit the Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore, including the Port Operations Control Centre.

This will be Mr Kono's first official visit to Singapore in his current capacity, MFA said.

Japan's Ministry of Foreign Affairs said on Friday (Feb 9) that Mr Kono will also be visiting Brunei during this trip.

"It is critically important to cooperate with Brunei and Singapore in the framework of Asean to materialise the Free and Open Indo-Pacific Strategy based on the rule of law, as both these countries attach importance to maritime order," the press release said.

Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe presented the "Free and Open Indo-Pacific Strategy" in 2016 to promote smooth navigation in the region amid concerns over increasing Chinese assertiveness in the seas.

Mr Kono will be the first Japanese foreign minister to visit Brunei and Singapore in five years since 2013.

During his visit to Singapore and Brunei, Mr Kono is expected to discuss matters such as bilateral relationships and regional and international situations with government officials of the two countries, Japan's Ministry of Foreign Affairs said.