Japanese PM to visit Philippines this week

MANILA, Philippines (Xinhua) - Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe will have an official visit to the Philippines on July 26 and 27, the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) announced today.

The news of the two-day visit was announced on the following day of Abe's winning of the upper house elections on Sunday.

During the forthcoming visit, Philippine President Benigno Aquino III is to discuss with Abe bilateral cooperation and regional issues, and ways to further advance the Strategic Partnership between the Philippines and Japan, the DFA said in a statement.

The last time that Abe visited the Philippines was in December 2006 in his first term as the head of the Japanese Government.