French President Emmanuel Macron will take Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida to visit the construction site of the Notre-Dame cathedral on Monday as he looks to boost bilateral relations ahead of Tokyo taking over the G7 presidency.
Kishida, who will host a summit of the Group of Seven (G7) industrial powers in May, begins a tour of G7 capitals this week with talks expected to range from economic security and semiconductors to the war in Ukraine and rising tensions with nuclear-armed China and North Korea.
France has sought to develop its presence in the Indo-Pacific and has been keen to deepen economic ties with Japan.
It also wants to underscore how it can play a bigger role in Japan's defence industry as it has done in the civilian nuclear power sector, as Kishida adopts a more muscular military policy in the region, a French presidential source said.
The talks between the two leaders will also include their common concerns over the U.S. Inflation Reduction Act, the alliance between automakers Renault and Nissan and how to broaden economic and military support for Ukraine as the war with Russia grinds through its 11th month, the official said.
Kishida will be the first foreign leader to visit Notre-Dame since its reconstruction began following a major fire in 2019. The aim is to re-open the site in 2024.
(Reporting by John Irish, Editing by William Maclean)
