Prime Minister Manmohan Singh will pay an official visit to Japan from December 13 to 16 at the invitation of his Japanese counterpart Shinzo Abe.

During the visit, the prime minister and his wife, Gursharan Kaur, will be received by the emperor and empress of Japan, an official press

note said on Wednesday.

The prime minister will hold discussions with Shinzo Abe. The visit is expected to further strengthen the India-Japan Global Partnership that was imparted new strategic orientation during the visit of the then Japanese Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi to India in April 2005.