Foreign Minister Takeshi Iwaya of Japan plans to attend Donald Trump's inauguration as U.S. president on January 20, 2025. Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba's government hopes to maintain close ties with its security ally.
Iwaya said he aimed to build a relationship of trust with the Trump administration and was seeking a meeting with Senator Marco Rubio, Trump's pick to be secretary of state.
India and Australia also announced that their foreign ministers would attend the swearing-in.
It will be Iwaya's first visit to the United States since he became foreign minister in October. Japan, a longtime U.S. ally that enjoyed good relations with Trump during his first administration, is keen to get off to a good start in his second.
Ishiba is looking into visiting the United States as early as in the first half of February for his first summit with Trump, Japan's Yomiuri Shimbun reported on Sunday.
Ishiba unsuccessfully sought a meeting in November, shortly after Trump beat Joe Biden in a presidential comeback, sources told Reuters at the time.
Iwaya said he aimed to meet with other senior officials from the incoming administration to lay the groundwork for an Ishiba visit.
Indian Foreign Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar will attend the inauguration at the invitation of the Trump team and meet with members of his incoming administration, his ministry said in a statement.
Penny Wong, foreign minister of fellow U.S. Pacific ally Australia, said on Sunday she would attend Trump's inauguration, calling it "an important opportunity to discuss how we can advance the benefits of our strong economic and security partnership and expand our cooperation".
She has said Australia's center-left Labor government was confident of its alliance with the United States, its biggest security partner, under the incoming Republican administration.
15 Comments
Coccinella
Trump and Japan have a good relationship, so hopefully, this will continue under his second term.
lettlelenok
It's important for Japan to maintain a strong relationship with the United States, regardless of who is president.
dedus mopedus
This is a sad day for Japan and for the world.
lettlelenok
This is a slap in the face to the millions of Americans who oppose Trump.
Marishka
Other countries are sending their foreign ministers, so it's important for Japan to do the same.
ytkonos
Iwaya meeting with Rubio is a positive step towards building trust with the new administration.
lettlelenok
Why are we congratulating a man who incited an insurrection and tried to overturn a democratic election?
Pupsik
Japan should be focusing on building relationships with other democratic countries, not appeasing a dictator.
dedus mopedus
Ishiba is a strong leader who will represent Japan well in its dealings with the United States.
lettlelenok
Ishiba is putting Japan's security at risk by aligning himself with Trump.
ytkonos
We should be hopeful that Trump and Ishiba can work together to make the world a better place.
lettlelenok
Trump's policies are harmful to Japan and the world. This is a bad sign for the future.
ArtemK
This is a positive development for both countries.
Muchacho
We must never forget what Trump did to our country.
Leonardo
Trump's policies may not always be perfect, but he has made some positive changes for the United States.