Kishida To Become Japan's First Leader At Nato Summit
North Atlantic Treaty Organization leaders will begin a two-day summit in Madrid on Wednesday with Kishida Fumio, who will be the first Japanese prime minister to attend the talks.
Officials at the summit are expected to adopt a new strategy for the alliance's political and military development for the coming decade.
Japanese officials say Kishida plans to confirm a common understanding that any unilateral attempt to change the status quo by force must not be tolerated anywhere in the world. He is apparently referring to Russia's invasion of Ukraine and China's maritime activities.
Kishida said, "I hope to take the opportunity to strengthen NATO's cooperation, and to build a solidarity partnership for freedom and democracy linking Europe and the Pacific Ocean."
The prime minister will also meet US President Joe Biden and South Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol on the sidelines of the NATO summit on Wednesday. It will be the first trilateral summit since September 2017.
They will discuss how they might limit North Korea's nuclear and missile programs.
White House National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan says the three leaders will discuss the application of economic pressure on the North, including how to deprive Pyongyang of hard currency to fund its weapons programs.