Japan won’t join Nato, but local office considered, PM Kishida says
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 May 21, 2023. REUTERS FILE PHOTO
TOKYO — Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida on Wednesday 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 U.S.-led military pact was planning a Tokyo office, the first in Asia, to facilitate consultations in the region.
READ: Nato to open Japan office to enable Indo-Pacific consultation–report
“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.
