Japan’s PM Ishiba to consider meeting US president-elect, says national media

Japan’s PM Ishiba to consider meeting US president-elect, says national media

The prime minister is also expected to attend the Apec summit in Peru and the G20 summit in Brazil in November.

Japan’s prime minister Shigeru Ishiba attends a debate with other political leaders at the Japan National Press Club in Tokyo, ahead of the lower house election scheduled for Oct 27. (AP pic)
TOKYO:
Japanese prime minister Shigeru Ishiba will consider visiting the US to meet the president-elect before the inauguration in January next year, national daily the Yomiuri Shimbun said on Sunday.

“As the prime minister of Japan, an ally of the US, it is necessary for me to have a relationship (with the president-elect) before officially taking office in January next year,” the paper quoted him as saying in its interview held on Saturday.

The prime minister also said he “won’t deny the possibility” of visiting the US before or after his planned visits to South America in the middle of next month, the Yomiuri Shimbun said.

If this happens, it would be Ishiba’s first visit to the US since he took office as prime minister.

He is expected to attend the Apec summit in Peru and the G20 summit in Brazil in November, the report said.

The US presidential election, which pits Democrat Kamala Harris against Republican Donald Trump, will be held on Nov 5.

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