Ecuadorean Foreign Minister Jose Ayala Lasso will visit Japan on March 15, the first Cabinet member from his country to do so in four years, at the invitation of the Foreign Ministry, a ministry spokesman said Friday.
During his four-day stay, Ayala is scheduled to hold talks with Foreign Minister Masahiko Komura, State Foreign Secretary Nobutaka Machimura and other government officials and lawmakers, the spokesman said. Ayala took office in March 1997 and played a key role in resolving a long-standing national border dispute between Ecuador and Peru in October, the spokesman said.
By inviting such a peacemaker and negotiator, Japan, one of Ecuador's top aid donors, aims to promote development efforts in the border area, which has been left untouched, he said.