茂木外相、英国・東欧訪問へ　欧州舞台に中国けん制

　茂木敏充外相が大型連休中、英国とスロベニア、ボスニア・ヘルツェゴビナ、ポーランドの東欧３カ国を訪問することが２０日分かった。５月初旬に英国で開催予定の先進７カ国（Ｇ７）外相会合に出席。香港の統制強化や新疆ウイグル自治区での人権侵害により中国への警戒が欧州でも高まる中、民主主義や法の支配といった価値観を共有する欧州諸国との連携強化を図る。（2021/04/20-17:53）

Japanese Foreign Minister Toshimitsu Motegi will visit Britain and three East European countries--Slovenia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, and Poland--during the spring holiday period in Japan from later this month, it was learned Tuesday.
   During the trip, Motegi is set to attend a Group of Seven foreign ministers' meeting in Britain in early May. He is expected to leave Japan on April 29 and return home on May 8.
   With a sense of vigilance toward China growing in Europe over crackdowns in Hong Kong and alleged human rights abuse in the Xinjiang Uighur autonomous region, Motegi will seek to deepen Japan's ties with European countries that shares with Tokyo basic values including democracy and the rule of law, informed sources said.
   Slovenia will hold the European Union presidency in the latter half of this year. On Monday, the EU adopted its first comprehensive Asia-Pacific strategy, which calls for stepping up its involvement in the Asia-Pacific region.
   Welcoming the EU move, Japan aims to further strengthen its economic and security ties with the EU.