JERUSALEM, Feb. 24 (Xinhua) -- Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert will leave for Tokyo on Sunday afternoon for a series of meetings with senior Japanese officials, focusing on bilateral economic ties and security issues.

    This is the first official visit by an Israeli premier to Japan in ten years. During his three-day visit, Olmert is expected to meet with Japanese Emperor Akihito and Prime Minister Yasuo Fukuda, as well as with U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice. The visit is aimed at expanding the economic ties and commerce between the two countries, according to a report of local daily Yedioth Ahronoth.

    Olmert and his hosts are also expected to discuss security issues, including the Qassam rockets, the sanctions imposed on the Gaza Strip and the Iranian nuclear threat.

    The visit has been planned for several months and was cancelled a number of times due to the security-diplomatic situation, the report said.

    The prime minister's convoy will be under particularly tight security due to the warnings on Hezbollah's plan to target Israeli officials following the assassination of the organization's commander Imad Mugniyah, which has been blamed on Israel, it said.