Japan, Singapore to resume short-term business travel from Sept. 18

TOKYO, Sept. 11 Kyodo - Japan will resume short-term business travel with Singapore from Sept. 18, marking the first time that Tokyo has decided to allow the entry of businesspeople without requiring a 14-day self-isolation period amid the coronavirus pandemic, Foreign Minister Toshimitsu Motegi said Friday. "It will be an important step forward as Japan gradually resumes international travel," Motegi said at a press conference. "There have been great business needs for travel between Japan and Singapore, such as in areas of finance and logistics." The business exchanges will be allowed under conditions such as pre-departure and post-arrival coronavirus testing, presentation of an itinerary of their stay, limitation of their travel to between where they are staying and the workplace and not using public transportation, the Japanese Foreign Ministry said. The resumption was announced in a joint statement by Motegi and his Singaporean counterpart Vivian Balakrishnan, in which they said it will help "restore connectivity and support economic recovery" for the two countries. Japan has already restarted travel for expatriates and other long-term residents with Cambodia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, Taiwan, Thailand and Vietnam. But in the arrangements, they will have to stay at home or a designated location for 14 days after arrivals. Japan is also in talks with Australia, Brunei, China, Hong Kong, Macau, Mongolia, New Zealand and South Korea to ease travel restrictions. ==Kyodo