Japan Foreign Minister Likely To Skip G20 Meet In India

Yoshimasa Hayashi, the foreign minister of Japan, is expected to prioritise legislative work over the Wednesday G-20 conference in India, according to a government official. According to the person, who requested anonymity in accordance with protocol, it is still unknown if he would attend a Friday meeting of the Quad nations, which also include Australia and the US along with India. The  Japanese media outlets covered the story earlier. The reports indicated that a deputy minister will likely be sent in his stead. eeping the foreign minister at home for a personal issue would irk Group of 20 host India. The action is being taken as Japan works to strengthen security and other relations with Narendra Modi's administration amid rising worries about China's aggressive behaviour in the area and Russia's involvement in the conflict in Ukraine. As Japan gets ready to host the Group of Seven summit in May, the revelation drew condemnation from politicians and the general public on social media. Some claimed it was a missed chance to demonstrate leadership. When in Tokyo in September, Modi spoke with the current premier, Fumio Kishida, and attended the official funeral for former prime minister Shinzo Abe.The Kishida administration has made strengthening ties with India a top priority as it looks for allies other than its lone treaty ally, the US, to combat security concerns presented by countries like China. A well-known format for collaboration is qquadis. As a rebuttal to Beijing, which has criticised the organisation as a "clique" that may ignite a new Cold War, it has gained prominence in recent years.

Meanwhile, Kishida's administration is making preparations to invite Australia and India to the G-7 meeting in May to address topics including Ukraine, nuclear disarmament, and climate change. In January, Japan and India conducted their first combined military aviation drills. Goshi Hosono, a senator for the ruling Liberal Democratic Party, said on Twitter that the decision was regretful because it "means forfeiting a chance to underline the significance of the rule of law to the poor nations that participate in the G-20." Hosono noted that such decisions to favour parliament over diplomacy were frequently made to appease the ruling parties. Hosono had previously been a member of the opposition Democratic Party. On the margins of the summit, Hayashi had previously scheduled bilateral meetings with some of his peers.The decision not to go will harm Japan's foreign policy and convey the false impression that Tokyo prioritises just the G-7, according to an unnamed Indian government official quoted by the agency. Later on Tuesday, Japan's lower house of parliament is anticipated to approve the budget and send it up for debate in the upper house. The first meetings of the budget committee, scheduled for Wednesday and Thursday, are normally attended by all cabinet members.