Koike, a graduate of Cairo University, will attend a Persian Gulf regional security summit in Bahrain. At the Manama Dialogue, organized by the London-based International Institute for Strategic Studies, she is also expected to meet with senior officials from other countries to discuss foreign affairs and security issues, Shiozaki said.
The Japanese premier's special adviser on security issues, Yuriko Koike, will make a weeklong visit to Bahrain, Qatar and Libya from Tuesday to discuss the North Korean nuclear threat as well as Japan's energy issues with senior officials from the Middle East, Japan's top government spokesman said Friday.
"Libya is a country that abolished its nuclear development programs. We hope to exchange opinions in search of hints on how the government should deal with the North Korean nuclear issue," Chief Cabinet Secretary Yasuhisa Shiozaki said.
Japan is trying to arrange for Koike, who is fluent in Arabic and well-versed in Middle Eastern affairs, to meet Libya's top leader Col. Muammar Al-Qaddafi, government sources said.
Koike, a graduate of Cairo University, will attend a Persian Gulf regional security summit in Bahrain. At the Manama Dialogue, organized by the London-based International Institute for Strategic Studies, she is also expected to meet with senior officials from other countries to discuss foreign affairs and security issues, Shiozaki said.
