Japan will not join NATO, but local office considered, PM Kishida says
FILE PHOTO: Japan's Prime Minister Fumio Kishida attends a bilateral meeting held by U.N. Secretary General Antonio Guterres (not pictured), on the sideline of the G7 leaders' summit in Hiroshima, western Japan 21 May, 2023. REUTERS/Androniki Christodoulou/Pool
Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida on Wednesday (24 May) said the country had no plans to become a NATO member but acknowledged the security alliance's plan to open a liaison office in Japan.
Kishida's comments came after the Japanese ambassador to the United States earlier this month said that the US-led military pact was planning a Tokyo office, the first in Asia, to facilitate consultations in the region.
"I am not aware of any decision made" at NATO regarding the establishment of the office, Kishida told a Wednesday parliament session, adding his country was not planning to join NATO as a member or semi-member state.
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