Kishida eyes attending NATO summit in late June, in a first for Japan

TOKYO (Kyodo) — Prime Minister Fumio Kishida is planning to attend a summit of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization slated for late June in Spain, a development that would make him the first Japanese leader to take part in a gathering of the Western alliance, a government source said Saturday.

Kishida’s attendance at the June 29-30 event in Madrid is dependent on the domestic political situation leading up to a House of Councillors election likely to be held July 10, the source said.

Through Kishida’s participation in the NATO summit, officials hope Japan will strengthen coordination with the United States and European countries in response to Russia’s war in Ukraine and possible contingencies over the Taiwan Strait. 

Kishida plans to travel to the Spanish capital after attending a three-day summit of the Group of Seven industrialized nations from June 26 in Germany, according to the source. 

The official campaign for the Japanese upper house election is expected to kick off on June 22. 

In April, Foreign Minister Yoshimasa Hayashi joined a foreign ministerial meeting of NATO member states and partner countries in Belgium, making him the first Japanese foreign minister to attend a NATO session.