Canberra, Nov 14 (IANS): Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison announced on Saturday that he will travel to Japan within days to meet with the country's new leader Yoshihide Suga.

Morrison announced that he would visit Japan to discuss the coronavirus pandemic, trade, security and defence with Suga, who became Prime Minister in September following the resignation of Shinzo Abe, reports Xinhua news agency.

"I am honoured to be the first foreign leader to visit Japan to meet the new Prime Minister following his appointment," he said.

"We will continue to discuss the work we are doing together to support them on Covid-19 and in particular how we can assist them during our vaccine program and the many other projects we have in place with them to address their challenges, in dealing with not only the pandemic, but of course the economic recession that flows from that."

Morrison, who will also visit Papua New Guinea (PNG) to meet Prime Minister James Marape, said the trip was in the "national interest" after postponing a planned trip to Japan in January because of Australia's bushfire crisis.

Upon his return Morrison will quarantine for 14 days at The Lodge, his official residence in Canberra, from where he will appear in Parliament via video link.