Japan yet to take call on attending G20 meeting in India

Japan has not yet decided who will represent their country at the Group of 20 (G-20) foreign ministers' meeting in India on Wednesday, Foreign Minister Yoshimasa Hayashi said in a report.

At a news conference on Tuesday, Hayashi responded to a reporter about previous claims that Japan's top diplomat would miss the G20 meeting with counterparts due to domestic parliamentary meetings, as reported. A deputy minister is likely to be sent in his place, as previously reported by Japanese media.

The G20 FMM is scheduled to take place in physical form from March 1 to 2 in New Delhi under the Indian presidency.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi is expected to address the foreign ministers of the G20 and talk about India's growing global influence. The meeting in New Delhi will be attended by representatives of 40 countries, including Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken and UK Foreign Secretary James Cleverly. India has also invited non-G20 members. As Japan prepares for the G-7 summit in May, the news drew criticism from lawmakers and the general public on social media as a missed opportunity to show leadership.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi visited Japan in early September last year to attend the funeral of former Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe. During the visit, he also held talks with Abe's successor, Fumio Kishida. "This is a regrettable decision that misses the chance to highlight the importance of the rule of law for developing countries participating in the G-20," Goshi Hosono, a lawmaker from the ruling Liberal Democratic Party, wrote on Twitter.

Hayashi has already arranged bilateral talks with some of his counterparts on the sidelines of the meeting, as reported. Strengthening ties with India has been a priority for the Kishida government as it seeks partners outside its only treaty ally, the US, to counter security threats posed by the likes of China.