ISTANBUL

Uzbekistan said on Monday that Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida is expected to visit the country at the end of the week.

President Shavkat Mirziyoyev’s press secretary Sherzod Asadov said on Telegram that the country’s head of state returned from a short-term leave, indicating that a number of meetings are planned on important socio-economic issues.

Asadov said Mirziyoyev is planning a visit to neighboring Kazakhstan, adding that his participation in a upcoming consultative meeting between Central Asian leaders is also planned.

Astana will host the 6th consultative meeting of the heads of state of Central Asia on Aug. 9.

Last Friday, the Kazakh presidency said Mirziyoyev will pay a state visit to the country on Aug. 7-8.

Asadov said Mirziyoyev is planning to participate at a summit in the Central Asia-Japan format.

“It is expected that at the end of the week, Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida will visit our country on an official visit,” Asadov added.

Japan's Kyodo News on Saturday said Kishida is expected to visit Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan and Mongolia on Aug. 9-12 in a bid to deepen the country’s ties with the region’s resource-rich countries.

Tokyo, however, has yet to officially confirm the visit.