Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba has canceled his participation in the NATO summit in The Hague, scheduled for June 24–25. According to the Japanese Foreign Ministry, the decision was made due to "various circumstances." According to media reports, the cancellation is related to the unlikelihood of holding meetings in the Indo-Pacific Quad (IP4) format and a meeting with US President Donald Trump. Participation in events at the level of the Japanese Foreign Minister remained in force. This is reported by Reuters, transmitted by UNN.
Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba has canceled plans to attend the NATO summit in The Hague this week
Details
The press service of the department added that "various circumstances" led to the cancellation.
Fuji Television reported that "Ishiba is withdrawing because a planned meeting between NATO and the four Indo-Pacific countries (IP4) is unlikely to happen," and also because "a meeting with US President Donald Trump is unlikely."
South Korea and Australia, which along with Japan and New Zealand are members of the IP4, also said their leaders would not attend. As a source previously told Reuters, Trump wanted to hold a summit with the IP4.
However, although Prime Minister Ishiba will not go to the summit, Japanese Foreign Minister Takeshi Iwaya will visit the Netherlands to participate in the event, the ministry said in a statement.
Addition
Three days ago, the Japanese foreign ministry announced Ishiba's attendance, saying he intended "to affirm with NATO allies and others the recognition that the security of the Euro-Atlantic and Indo-Pacific regions is inseparable."
Recall
In The Hague, Netherlands, on June 24-25, the NATO summit will take place, where member states are to agree on a new defense budget of 5% of the national GDP of NATO member countries. The venue for the summit is a conference center and theater next to the building that once housed the UN tribunal for the former Yugoslavia.