The premier plans to visit Britain, Spain, France, Germany and Greece before returning to Japan on May 3, Kyodo news agency said, quoting Japanese government officials.

During his trip, Koizumi plans to hold talks with British Prime Minister Tony Blair and French President Jacques Chirac to discuss how to help with the postwar reconstruction of Iraq.

Koizumi is expected to urge the leaders of the five countries to seek unity within the international community over efforts to help rehabilitate and reconstruct Iraq, Kyodo said.

Koizumi also hopes to discuss the North Korean nuclear issue with European leaders, as multilateral talks involving North Korea, the United States and China are expected to be held later this month in Beijing, Kyodo said.

The premier is likely to ask for the European Union's cooperation for Japan's efforts to resolve the North Korean abduction of Japanese nationals, the officials said, according to the report.

Japan is strongly demanding North Korea return all Japanese kidnapped by the Stalinist state and their relatives during the Cold War years.

In Greece, which currently holds the EU presidency, Koizumi is expected to attend a regular EU summit meeting on May 2 as an observer and hold bilateral meetings with some of the leaders, Kyodo said.

A foreign ministry official said arrangements for an overseas trip by Koizumi were still being made.

"Our prime minister is now considering making an overseas trip late April and early May, but we have not officially decided on which countries he is to visit," the official said.

SPACE.WIRE