Abe Announces 8-Day Visit to Europe, Middle East

July 2, 2018

Tokyo- Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe said Monday that he will visit Belgium, France, Saudi Arabia and Egypt on July 11-18.

According to the trip schedule, announced at a liaison meeting between the government and the ruling bloc, Abe will attend a signing ceremony in Brussels for the economic partnership agreement for free trade between Japan and the European Union.

He will take part in the opening ceremony of the Japonismes 2018, an event to promote Japanese culture, in Paris.

Abe said that the Japan-EU EPA will serve as "a new engine" for his Abenomics economic policy. "While protectionist moves are spreading in the world, Japan will continue to raise a flag for and strongly promote free trade," he said.

Officials from Japanese companies will accompany Abe to Saudi Arabia and Egypt.

Also at the liaison meeting, Abe indicated that guidelines for government agencies' fiscal 2019 budget requests will be decided at a meeting of the Council on Economic and Fiscal Policy early this month. Jiji Press