Rouhani Likely to Visit Japan, Malaysia

Presidential Chief of Staff Mahmoud Vaezi said on Wednesday that President Hassan Rouhani is expected to visit Japan in the near future, as part of a tour that will also take him to Malaysia. 
“[Malaysian Prime Minister] Mahathir Mohamad had extended an invitation, which has been accepted; and [Japanese Prime Minister] Shinzo Abe had called for a visit by the president [to Tokyo] during his trip to Iran [in June],” Vaezi was quoted as saying by IRNA.
“Due to the proximity of the two countries [Malaysia and Japan] and their long distance from Iran, we expressed readiness to take up [Abe’s] invitation at this point, as the consolidation of such trips can save costs.” 
Vaezi noted that the trips will likely take place later this month.  
Japan’s NHK had earlier cited Iranian and Malaysian government officials that Rouhani is set to visit the Southeast Asian nation for three days from Dec. 18. 
The unidentified Iranian official also told NHK that Rouhani was keen to visit Japan and that Tehran was looking into the possibility of such a trip.