Kyodo News and NHK reported that Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba departed for New York, United States on the 23rd aboard a government plane to attend the United Nations General Assembly.
Before his departure, Prime Minister Ishiba spoke with reporters and explained that "arrangements are still being made" regarding a meeting with U.S. President Donald Trump.
It is known that during this visit to the United States, Prime Minister Ishiba is seeking an opportunity to have a brief conversation with President Trump.
Prime Minister Ishiba stated, "There have been various developments with President Trump over the past year, but we have built a very good cooperative relationship." He added, "I plan to create an opportunity to meet with him, offer my farewell as I step down, and express my hope that he will continue relations with the next Japanese prime minister."
Prime Minister Ishiba will step down after the ruling Liberal Democratic Party elects a new president on October 4, followed by the selection of a new prime minister by the National Diet.
On the afternoon of the 23rd (local time), Prime Minister Ishiba is scheduled to deliver a speech at the United Nations General Assembly. He emphasized, "As this year marks the 80th anniversary of the founding of the United Nations, I intend to reflect on the organization's 80-year journey in my speech and call for reforms to the Security Council." He also said, "I will present Japan's perspective on global challenges such as nuclear disarmament and non-proliferation, as well as the situation in the Middle East."
Regarding the issue of recognizing Palestine as a state, he said, "Japan has consistently supported the two-state solution," and added, "I intend to address what Japan must do to make this approach effective."
Japan has previously decided to withhold recognition of Palestine for the time being, taking into account the position of its ally, the United States, which opposes Palestinian statehood.
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