Justice Minister Masahiko Komura will visit Indonesia and Vietnam from Monday through Friday primarily to observe the use of financial aid from Tokyo given to assist the development of the legal systems of the two Southeast Asian nations, ministry officials said Sunday.
Komura will meet Indonesian President Abdurrahman Wahid on Tuesday morning in Jakarta to discuss issues such as human rights, East Timor and the increasing problem of piracy in Southeast Asian waters, the officials said.
Komura will also meet Indonesian Justice Minister Yusril Ihza Mahendra, they said.
On Thursday, Komura will hold talks with Vietnamese Justice Minister Nguyen Dinh Loc in Ho Chi Minh City to discuss Japan's support to Vietnam for the development of its basic laws and civil codes, they said.
Japanese officials are trying to arrange for Komura to make courtesy calls on Vietnamese President Tran Duc Luong.
The visit will be the first by a Japanese justice minister to Vietnam.