Japan PM Ishiba to Attend U.N. General Assembly Session

Tokyo, Sept. 19 (Jiji Press)–Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba will visit New York for three days from Tuesday to attend the ongoing U.N. General Assembly session, Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshimasa Hayashi said Friday. During the general debate in the session, Ishiba is set to deliver a speech emphasizing the importance of an international order based on multilateralism and the rule of law, in light of intensifying divisions and conflicts around the world. Ishiba is also expected to touch on Japan’s efforts to promote international peace, with in mind his envisaged plans to announce his view over the 80th anniversary of the end of World War II. He is also likely to stress the importance of overhauling the U.N. Security Council, which has come under fire for failing to properly address crises such as Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. During the trip, Ishiba plans to hold bilateral talks with other world leaders. With this year also marking the 80th anniversary of the United Nations, Hayashi highlighted the significance of the prime minister’s visit, saying, “We hope to reaffirm the United Nations’ role in maintaining international peace.” “It’ll be a meaningful opportunity for Japan to express its stance on nuclear disarmament and nonproliferation, as well as on global issues,” the top government spokesman also said at a press conference. The visit to New York will be Ishiba’s first overseas trip since he announced on Sept. 7 that he would step down. The outgoing prime minister will also visit Busan in South Korea at the end of this month to meet with South Korean President Lee Jae-myung. In September last year, then Prime Minister Fumio Kishida, Ishiba’s immediate predecessor, attended the U.N. General Assembly session shortly after announcing his intention to step down. Kishida, however, did not deliver a speech during the general debate. END [Copyright The Jiji Press, Ltd.]