Abe to tackle diplomatic challenges for political legacy

July 25, 2019

Tokyo--Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe will tackle diplomatic challenges, including abductions of Japanese nationals by North Korea and a territorial dispute with Russia, after securing victory in Sunday's House of Councillors election.

Abe, who will become the longest-serving prime minister in Japan if he stays in power until November, apparently hopes to shape his political legacy by resolving these long-standing issues.

The focus is whether Abe can pave the way to the resolution before his term as president of the ruling Liberal Democratic Party ends in September 2021. Opportunities abound this year, including diplomatic events, between August and October.

On Tuesday, Abe held a ministerial meeting to prepare for the Seventh Tokyo International Conference on African Development, or TICAD VII, slated for late August in Yokohama, south of Tokyo.

He also held talks with visiting Tijjani Muhammad-Bande, president-elect of the 74th session of the U.N. General Assembly, which will start in mid-September.

Since 1993, Japan has been hosting TICAD meetings with the United Nations and other organizations mainly to discuss development issues with African leaders.

"TICAD has the longest history among international forums to discuss African development," Abe said at Tuesday's ministerial meeting. "I want you to make thorough preparations so that impressive measures will be launched."

As China, which hosts a similar conference, is increasing its presence with huge financial assistance, Japan needs to win a high reputation for the quality of infrastructure and human resource development assistance, informed sources said.

Just before TICAD VII, Abe will attend a summit of the Group of Seven major countries in France.

He will also take part in the U.N. General Assembly session in New York in late September. He is expected to hold talks with U.S. President Donald Trump during his visit to the United States.

With Trump, Abe would need to discuss difficult issue, including a bilateral trade deal and a U.S.-proposed coalition to safeguard waters in and around the Strait of Hormuz.

In New York, Abe also expects to meet with Iranian President Hassan Rouhani, aiming to continue diplomatic efforts to ease tensions in the Middle East.

Abe is due to attend a U.N. General Assembly session for the seventh straight year.

In his meeting with Muhammad-Bande at the prime minister's office Tuesday, Abe exchanged opinions on U.N. Security Council reform and sought cooperation to resolve the abduction issue early. Muhammad-Bande showed support on the abduction issue.

Elsewhere on the diplomatic schedule, Abe is set to attend in early September an Eastern Economic Forum meeting in Vladivostok in Russia's Far East and hold talks there with Russian President Vladimir Putin.

Abe needs to find a way to break the deadlock over the territorial dispute over four Russian-held northwestern Pacific islands off the northernmost Japan prefecture of Hokkaido, with Russia recently showing a tough stance on the issue.

In October, Abe is set to meet with foreign leaders who will visit Japan to attend the "Sokuirei-Seiden-no-Gi" ceremony to declare the enthronement of Emperor Naruhito, who ascended the throne May 1. Jiji Press