Prime Minister Anthony Albanese will head to Japan on Monday to attend the state funeral of former Japanese prime minister Shinzo Abe.
Joining Mr Albanese will be former prime ministers John Howard, Tony Abbott and Malcolm Turnbull, all of whom worked with Mr Abe during his two terms in government.
Mr Abe was Japan’s longest-serving prime minister, between 2006 to 2007 and then between 2012 to 2020.
He was assassinated in July.
Mr Abe visited Australia five times as prime minister, the last of which was in 2018.
Mr Albanese called Mr Abe “a reassuring figure of certainty” during a condolence motion moved in the Australian parliament in July.
“Our friendship with Japan is one of the central elements of Australia’s international relations,” he said.
“There is warmth at the heart of our friendship, there is respect and there is trust. Mr Abe embodied them all.”
© AAP 2022
