June 24, 2010
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Japan's Prime Minister Naoto Kan will leave Tokyo for Canada on Thursday to attend the G8 and G20 summits later this week.
Kan will leave Narita Airport for his first foreign trip since becoming prime minister after he makes a campaign speech ahead of next month's Upper House election.
G8 leaders will meet in Canada for 3 days from Friday.
They will later take part in a G20 meeting with leaders of emerging economies, including China and India.
Security issues including the sinking of a South Korean warship and Iran's nuclear development are expected to be high on the agenda.The leaders are also expected to discuss how to simultaneously cut budget deficits and achieve economic growth.
Kan is expected to take up the warship sinking and again express Japan's support for South Korea in negotiations at the UN Security Council.
Kan will also stress his plans for fiscal reconstruction, including an increase in consumption tax, and improvements in social services. He will speak about plans to expand the environmental and energy sectors and healthcare and care-giving.
On the sidelines, he will meet US President Barack Obama, Chinese President Hu Jintao and other leaders.
Kan is not expected to raise with Obama the relocation of a US air base in Okinawa but will confirm the importance of the Japan-US alliance.
2010/06/24 07:56(JST)
(JST: UTC+9hrs.)
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