Suga To Attend Asian Meetings From Thursday
Prime Minister Suga Yoshihide will attend a series of Asian online meetings later this week including a summit with the Association of Southeast Asian Nations.
The meetings are scheduled from Thursday until Sunday.
Anti-coronavirus measures are high on the agenda of the leaders of Japan and the ten ASEAN members. Participants are expected to confirm the creation of an ASEAN center for the control of infectious diseases. Japan has pledged to contribute financially to the plan.
Suga is also expected to explain Japan's commitment to reducing the country's carbon emissions to net zero by 2050 and convey Japan's willingness to provide assistance to ASEAN member countries to cut their emissions.
Negotiations toward a Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership, or RCEP, agreement are in their final stages, with India hinting at a withdrawal from the 16-nation framework.
At the East Asia Summit, Suga is expected to call for unity on maritime security to ensure a free and open Indo-Pacific in the face of China's growing maritime activities in the South China Sea. The United States, Russia and China are among the members. The Japanese prime minister also hopes to exchange views on North Korean situation.
