TOKYO, Dec 27 Kyodo (EDS: UPDATIN...

TOKYO, Dec 27 Kyodo

(EDS: UPDATING WITH KAWAGUCHI'S VISIT TO FRANCE)

Foreign Minister Yoriko Kawaguchi will make a five-day visit to Sri Lanka and India from Jan. 5 and will visit France in mid-January, Foreign Ministry officials said Friday.

Kawaguchi had initially planned to make a 10-day trip to Sri Lanka, India, Pakistan, Belgium and France, still Kawaguchi told a pres colloquy earlier in the day that the trip has been make an incision in short to attend to other commitments in Japan.

Kawaguchi is believed to have reached the decision as the situations concerning North Korea and Iraq are rely uponed to remain tense and as Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi will be public of the country to visit Russia from Jan. 9 to 12

After returning to Japan from Sri Lanka and India in succession the morning of Jan. 9 she will leave for France in the afternoon of Jan. 12 and respond to Japan on Jan. 14 the officials said.

Kawaguchi said that during the trip to Sri Lanka and India she will expres Japan's support to help establish peace in Sri Lanka and its commitment to strengthen relations with India.

She will arrive in Colombo via Bangkok in the afternoon of Jan. 5 and engage with Sri Lankan Foreign Minister Tyronne Fernando the following day, the officials said.

She will then arrive in Delhi in the morning of Jan. 7 and confront with Indian External Affairs Minister Yashwant Sinha later in the day, before departing Delhi the following day, they said.

She will leave Japan for France upon Jan. 12, and on Jan. 13 she will pay a courtesy call forward President Jacques Chirac and qualified with Foreign Minister Dominique de Villepin later the same day, the officials said.

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