Kishida eyes attending NATO summit on June 29-30
13:17 JST, June 5, 2022
Prime Minister Fumio Kishida is considering attending a NATO summit meeting to be held in Spain on June 29-30, government sources said.
If Kishida goes, it will be the first time for a Japanese prime minister to attend a summit meeting of the defense alliance. Participants will reconfirm their unity regarding Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, the implementation of sanctions against Moscow and stabilizing supply chains for crude oil and other products.
To counter China’s increasingly hegemonic activities, Kishida would ask other attendees to strengthen their commitment to the Indo-Pacific region. He would attend a Group of Seven summit meeting to be held in Elmau, southern Germany, on June 26-28, and then travel directly to Madrid.
Because Kishida’s trip would overlap with part of the election campaign for the House of Councillors, some in the government had expressed concern about such a long overseas trip. It is unprecedented, however, for a Japanese leader to be invited to a NATO summit, and the government therefore shifted to the view that Japan should make its presence felt.
The leaders of South Korea and Australia are also among the invited parties.
"Politics" POPULAR ARTICLE
-
Prime Minister Fumio Kishida Promotes Revised NISA Investment Program to Young People; Kishida Focusing on Moving Money From Savings to Investment in a Safe Environment
-
Japan, U.S. to Join Forces on AI, Semiconductors; Seek to Counter China’s ‘Military-Civil Fusion’
-
Japan, U.S. to Work Together for Expanding Marine Product Supply Chains; Countering China’s Economic Coercion
-
84% of People Nationwide Say They Feel Japan’s National Security Is Under Threat
-
“High Probability” 2 MSDF Patrol Helicopters Collided near Torishima Island; 1 Dead, 7 Others Onboard Missing (Update 2)
JN ACCESS RANKING
- M6.0 Earthquake Hits Japan’s Tohoku Region; Fukushima, Iwate, Miyagi Prefectures Observe 4 on Japanese Scale With No Risk of Tsunami
- China Mutes Memorialization of Reformer Hu Yaobang; Memories Could Spark Critique of Xi Administration
- Shinkansen Services Suspended After Man ‘Searches for Phone’ on Tracks; Disruption Affects About 14,000 Passengers
- U.S. 7th Fleet officer Arrested on Suspicion of Stealing Sushi, Sashimi, Chicken at Kanagawa Shopping Mall; Suspect Caught Mid-Meal
- UNRWA Director Describes Catastrophic Destruction in Gaza; Says Relief Trucks Robbed, ‘People’s Hearts Destroyed’