Germany's Merz mulling Japan visit in late Oct. with security on agenda

BERLIN - Berlin and Tokyo are arranging for Chancellor Friedrich Merz to make his first visit as leader to Japan in late October for talks with Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi expected to focus on security, a diplomatic source said Tuesday.

The discussions in Tokyo are likely to cover drone development and deeper cooperation on defense, the source said, as the countries eye risks in Europe from Russia's ongoing invasion of Ukraine, the effects of the war in the Middle East and an increasingly assertive China in the Indo-Pacific region.