Boris Yeltsin Leaves for Japan for a Number of Meetings and a Little Rest

Boris Yeltsin is leaving for Japan on Monday by air to spend about a week there, chief of protocol of the first president of Russia Vladimir Shevchenko told RIA Novosti.

According to him, Boris Yeltsin was invited to the country by his long-time friend Ryu, former Prime Minister of Japan Ryutaro Hashimoto.

Alongside the meetings with Hashimoto, the first president of Russia is planning to have a meeting with current Premier Junichiro Koizumi.

It is expected that Boris Yeltsin will spend two days in Tokyo and then go to Kagoshima province in the south of the country. As Shevchenko noted, Yeltsin has visited Japan thrice but has never been in its south. The first president will see the sights there and have a little rest.