Japan's Prime Minister Kishida Fumio is planning to visit France in early May to speak at a ministerial council meeting of the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development.

He is expected to press the importance of maintaining and strengthening a free and fair economic order, explaining about Japan's effort to promote a new form of capitalism.

Kishida is also expected to talk about Japan's willingness to tackle global issues such as generative artificial intelligence and climate change.

The Japanese leader is also likely to visit Brazil and Paraguay.

In Brazil, which is hosting the Group of Twenty this year, he hopes to hold a leaders' summit to confirm cooperation in responding to international issues. He also wants to agree on deeper bilateral economic cooperation.

Kishida is expected to further ties with Paraguay as it is the only South American country that has diplomatic ties with Taiwan.