Politics & Government

Akie Abe to Meet with Melania Trump in U.S.; May Also Meet the President-Elect

Yomiuri Shimbun file photo
From left: Melania Trump, then U.S. President Donald Trump, then Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and Abe’s wife Akie enjoy dinner at a robata-yaki grilled meat restaurant in Roppongi, Tokyo, during Trump’s visit to Japan in 2019.

The Yomiuri Shimbun

13:23 JST, December 13, 2024

Former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe’s widow Akie is making arrangements to visit the United States and meet with U.S. President-elect Donald Trump’s wife Melania this weekend, sources said.

There is a possibility that she will also meet with Trump, according to the sources. Akie was invited to Trump’s Mar-a-Lago residence in Florida.

Abe established a close relationship with Trump during Trump’s first tenure, and Akie has attended many dinners with both leaders and is acquainted with Trump.

Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba hopes to hold a meeting with Trump before his inauguration in January, but as yet no time frame for the meeting has been set. The potential impact on Japan-U.S. relations of a meeting between Akie and Trump is being closely watched.