Foreign Minister Taro Aso plans to travel to Australia in January to engage in trilateral security talks with his Australian and U.S. counterparts, Foreign Ministry sources said Thursday.
Before that, Aso will head to India and Pakistan for talks with top officials there, the officials said.
Aso plans to visit Australia from Jan. 10 to 12 for a trilateral security meeting with U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice and Australian Foreign Minister Alexander Downer.
The gathering will mark the first ministerial-level trilateral strategic talks for the three countries. Both Japan and Australia have bilateral security treaties with the U.S.
Aso's visit to India and Pakistan is planned for Jan. 3 to 6.
In India, Aso will meet Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and other officials, with talks expected to focus on reform of the U.N. Security Council and prospects for an East Asian community, they said.
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