Japanese Kishida: "Attending NATO Summit Next Month... Close Communication on China Visit"

Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida announced that he will attend the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) summit to be held in Lithuania next month. Regarding plans to visit China, no decision has been made yet, but he said he will maintain close communication.

At a press conference marking the end of the regular Diet session on the 21st, Prime Minister Kishida formalized his NATO attendance schedule and said, "I will hold a summit with the European Union (EU) in Belgium and also visit three Middle Eastern countries, including Saudi Arabia."

Earlier, NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg officially announced at a press conference held in Oslo, Norway, earlier this month, "Next month's NATO summit will be the second time in history that all four Asia-Pacific leaders from South Korea, Japan, Australia, and New Zealand will attend."

Accordingly, it is expected that President Yoon Suk-yeol and Prime Minister Kishida will meet again about two months after the G7 summit held last month in Hiroshima, Japan.

[Image source=AP Yonhap News]

Prime Minister Kishida expressed concern over North Korea's successive ballistic missile launches, stating, "Both the frequency and content are becoming significantly more serious."

However, he reiterated his intention to strive for a North Korea-Japan summit with North Korean Supreme Leader Kim Jong-un to resolve the issue of Japanese abductees. He said, "I will make efforts to hold high-level talks directly under the Prime Minister to realize an early North Korea-Japan summit," adding, "We will respond decisively to resolve the abduction issue."

When asked if he plans to visit China to hold a summit with Chinese President Xi Jinping, he said, "Nothing has been decided regarding a visit to China," but added, "To build a constructive and stable relationship with China, I will maintain close communication at all levels, including myself."