Prime Minister Fumio Kishida left for France on Wednesday, the first leg of a six-day overseas trip that is also set to take him to Brazil and Paraguay during Japan's early May Golden Week holiday period.
On Thursday, Kishida is scheduled to address the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development in Paris on various issues including climate change and international rules for generative artificial intelligence.
"I'd like to express that Japan will take a leading role in creating and bolstering a free and fair, rules-based international economic order," Kishida told reporters at Tokyo's Haneda airport before departing.
This year marks the 60th anniversary of Japan joining the OECD. Tokyo currently chairs the French-based club's Ministerial Council Meeting. Later Thursday, Kishida plans to hold talks with French President Emmanuel Macron before heading to Brazil.
His visit to the Latin American nations comes as Japan has been deepening relations with emerging and developing countries, collectively dubbed the Global South, among which Brazil is viewed as a key player along with India and Indonesia.
On Friday, Kishida is slated to meet separately with Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva and Paraguayan President Santiago Pena. Kishida is expected to discuss with the leaders how to ensure the rules-based global order and tackle other challenges.
Brazil is this year's chair of the Group of 20 economies and Paraguay is the only South American nation that has diplomatic ties with Taiwan, rather than China. Taiwan and China have been separately governed since they split in 1949 as the result of a civil war.
As Brazil is home to around 2.7 million people of Japanese descent, Kishida is likely to hold talks with members of the community in Brasilia and Sao Paulo, government officials said.
On Saturday, Kishida will deliver a speech on Japan's foreign policies on Latin America and the Caribbean, the officials said.
Related coverage:
Japan PM Kishida makes self-deprecating jokes at White House dinner
FOCUS: Kishida's U.S. trip may raise odds of Japan going to polls in June
Ex-Japan PM Aso meets Trump in New York ahead of Nov. election
