Kishida Affirms Partnerships with Global South Leaders

The Yomiuri Shimbun

17:42 JST, May 20, 2023

HIROSHIMA — Prime Minister Fumio Kishida held bilateral talks on the sidelines of the Group of Seven summit in Hiroshima on Saturday morning with his counterparts from India, Indonesia and Brazil, affirming efforts to strengthen partnerships between G7 members and emerging and developing nations in the so-called Global South.

In a meeting with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Kishida stressed the importance of upholding the U.N. Charter principles of sovereignty and territorial integrity, and the leaders agreed to work together to realize peace, according to the Foreign Ministry.

India currently holds the presidency of the Group of 20 major economies. Kishida and Modi also confirmed that the G7 and G20 will cooperate in addressing various issues facing the international community.

Meanwhile, Kishida and Indonesian President Joko Widodo, who currently chairs the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, agreed on the importance of upholding a free and open international order based on the rule of law.

In talks with Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, Kishida said, “It’s important to cooperate with a wide range of partners to deal with the challenges facing the international community,” while Lula affirmed his intention to further strengthen relations between Brazil and Japan.