Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe left Tokyo Sunday for a weeklong tour that will take him to Indonesia, India, and Malaysia. Abe will start his three nation Asian trip with a summit in Jakarta with Indonesian President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono. The two leaders are slated to sign a free trade agreement that will eliminate tariffs on about 92 percent of bilateral trade by value, and incorporate cooperation for ensuring Japan's stable supplies of energy and mineral resources, KUNA reported. Abe will also deliver a speech on Japan's future policy toward the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), the first such speech by a Japanese leader in five years. Abe will then fly to New Delhi on August 21, where he is scheduled to hold talks with Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on August 22, and the two are expected to release a joint statement confirming strengthening Japan-India collaboration in environmental protection and energy security. Abe is hoping to obtain India's cooperation in establishing a new global warming framework calls for greenhouse gas emissions to be halved by 2050 as part of a broader initiative to be joined by the US, China, and India. Abe is also to make a policy speech at the Indian parliament to call for stronger bilateral cooperation between the two nations, the first-ever such speech by a Japanese prime minister. In Kuala Lumpur, Abe will meet with Malaysian Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi on August 24 and sign a joint statement calling for cooperation in developing bio-fuel from palm oil and strengthening bilateral economic ties. The premier will be accompanied by a 200-member mission of business leaders from the Japan Business Federation, the nation's largest big-business group. The mission plans to meet with government leaders and local business leaders from the three countries to present their ideas for better business relations.
