Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi plans to visit Ankara from July 6 to 8 to attend a NATO summit for the first time since taking office last year, sources said Thursday.

Takaichi aims to confirm with NATO that the security of the Indo-Pacific region and that of Europe are inseparable, seeking greater NATO involvement in Asia amid China¡¯s growing military pressure, informed sources said.

Japan, as well as South Korea, Australia and New Zealand, have all?developed cooperative ties with NATO.

Within NATO, meanwhile, a rift between the United States and European members is deepening over U.S. strikes on Iran, as well as their responses to Russia¡¯s invasion of Ukraine. U.S. President Donald Trump has suggested the possibility of his country withdrawing from the organization.