Japanese PM Expected to Visit Iran in Late August
TEHRAN (Tasnim) – Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe is likely to visit Iran in late August, a first trip by a Japanese leader in 38 years.
According to the Nikkei news agency on Monday, Abe hopes to be able to travel to Iran around the time he goes to Kenya on August 27-28.
Takeo Fukuda was the last Japanese prime minister who visited Iran in September 1978.
“Any trip to Iran likely will be on the way to or back from a Japan-Africa development conference that Abe will attend in Kenya on Aug. 27-28,” the agency said.
It added the Japanese premier “intends to take the initiative to strengthen economic ties between Japan and Iran” after the lifting of anti-Tehran sanctions in January.
There has been growing international interest in trade ties with Iran since Tehran and the Group 5+1 (Russia, China, the US, Britain, France and Germany) on July 14, 2015 finalized a comprehensive deal on Tehran’s nuclear program and implemented it on January 16.
The comprehensive nuclear deal, also known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), terminated all nuclear-related sanctions on Iran after coming into force.
