British Prime Minister Keir Starmer. (Photo: REUTERS/Jaimi Joy)

Starmer is due to hold talks with Japanese Prime Minister Takaichi Sanae later on Saturday evening, Japan’s foreign ministry said. The discussions are expected to cover both bilateral and multilateral cooperation.

Their agenda includes economic security, with a focus on strengthening supply chains for critical minerals, as well as trilateral cooperation between Japan, Britain and Italy on the research and development of a next generation fighter jet.

The two leaders last met in November on the sidelines of the G20 summit in South Africa. Starmer’s trip marks the first visit to Japan by a British prime minister in three years, following the Group of Seven summit held in Hiroshima in 2023.