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Poroshenko to discuss situation in Ukraine with Abe during visit to Japan in early April

Japan, which hosts the G7 summit this year, is determined to "make a contribution to peaceful solution to the situation in Ukraine and is set to support reforms in the country"

Petro Poroshenko Carsten Koall/Getty Images

Petro Poroshenko

© Carsten Koall/Getty Images

TOKYO, March 22. /TASS/. Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko will pay an official visit to Japan on April 5-7, Japanese Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga told reporters in Tokyo on Tuesday.

During the visit, Poroshenko will hold talks with Japan’s Prime Minister Shinzo Abe. Japan, which hosts the Group of Seven summit this year, is determined to "make a contribution to peaceful solution to the situation in Ukraine and is set to support reforms in the country," he said.

Read also

Japanese top security official explains Tokyo’s policy towards Russia in Washington

Poroshenko’s visit is planned to balance the policy of developing contacts with Moscow. "Tokyo has been trying to maintain a balance in its ties with Moscow and Kiev, and the United States has been especially wary about Japan getting too close to Russia," the Kyodo news agency reported earlier citing sources.

The Ukrainian leader’s visit could come ahead of the arrival of Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov in Tokyo. Abe plans to arrive in Russia for a non-official visit in early May. In summer last year he visited Kiev for talks with Poroshenko.

The summit of G7, which groups the UK, the US, Canada, France, Germany, Italy and Japan, will be held on May 26-27 in the city of Shima, located in the Ise Shima national park in Mie Prefecture facing the ocean.

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Ukraine crisis Japan Pyotr Poroshenko Shinzo Abe

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