Prime Minister Suga has begun to make adjustments to visit India and the Philippines in line with the Golden Week holidays starting at the end of this month.
It is expected that the final decision will be made as to whether or not a visit is possible, while carefully assessing the infection status of the new coronavirus.
With China's military and economic rise, Prime Minister Suga is strengthening ties with countries that share values, such as the United States, Australia, and India, and will visit the United States next week to meet President Biden on a day. I am planning to attend the US summit meeting.
Following this, Prime Minister Suga has begun to make adjustments to visit India and the Philippines during the Golden Week holidays from the end of this month to May.
India has traditionally adopted a diplomatic policy that is not biased toward relations with a specific country, but as tensions continue in the disputed zone over the border with China, India is deepening relations with Japan and the United States. The Philippines is also showing a rebellion against China over sovereignty over the South China Sea.
Prime Minister Suga wants to further strengthen the cohesion toward the realization of a "free and open Indo-Pacific" through the first face-to-face summit meeting between India and the Philippines. We will make a final decision on whether or not a visit is possible, with careful assessment.