Taipei, Oct. 28 (CNA) Former Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe is scheduled to visit Taiwan and meet President Ma Ying-jeou, Legislative Yuan sources said Thursday.
Abe is scheduled to arrive in Taiwan for a two-day visit Oct. 31-Nov. 1 with more than a dozen Japanese parliamentarians aboard the maiden flight that will kick off direct flights between Taipei's Songshan Airport and Tokyo's Haneda Airport, said a ruling Kuomintang (KMT) legislator who spoke on condition of anonymity.
Abe, who served as the 57th prime minister of Japan from September 2006 until September 2007, is scheduled to meet Ma Oct. 31 and Legislative Yuan Speaker Wang Jin-pyng the following day, the legislator said.
However, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs denied all knowledge of any such visit.
"Visits of any former foreign dignitaries are welcomed and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) believes such visits are beneficial to bilateral relations. However, we have no information about any forthcoming visit by the former Japanese Prime Minister, " MOFA spokesman James Chang said.
The Japan Interchange Association (JIA) which acts as Japan's representative office in Taiwan in the absence of diplomatic ties, declined to comment. (By Chris Wang) ENDITEM/J