Japanese foreign minister likely to skip G20 meeting in India

TOKYO: Japan's foreign minister Yoshimasa Hayashi is likely to skip the G20 Foreign Ministers' meeting in India starting on Wednesday.

On Tuesday, Hayashi was responding to a reporter's question at a news conference about earlier reports that Japan's top diplomat will skip the meeting with counterparts at G20 due to domestic parliamentary sessions, reported Reuters.

The news was reported earlier by some Japanese media outlets. Reports said a deputy minister is likely to be dispatched in his place.

The G20 Foreign Ministers Meeting (FMM) is scheduled to take place from March 1-2, 2023 in New Delhi.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi is expected to address the foreign ministers of the member countries of G20 and talk about India's growing global influence.

The news sparked criticism from lawmakers and members of the public on social media, who said it was a lost opportunity to show leadership as Japan prepares to host the Group of Seven summit in May.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi visited Japan in September to attend the state funeral for former Japanese Prime Minster Shinzo Abe and also held talks with his successor Fumio Kishida.

"It's a regrettable decision that means forfeiting a chance to emphasize the importance of the rule of law to the developing countries that take part in G-20," Goshi Hosono, a ruling Liberal Democratic Party lawmaker said on Twitter.

Hayashi had already arranged bilateral discussions with some of his counterparts on the sidelines of the meeting, Kyodo News reported.

Bolstering ties with India has been a priority for the Kishida government as it seeks partners beyond its sole treaty ally, the US, to counter security threats posed by the likes of China.