TOKYO (CNA) – Japan’s Prime Minister Fumio Kishida said yesterday he would refocus his efforts on foreign policy and pledged to make 2022 the year of diplomacy, in a New Year statement posted on his website.
“The deft handling of diplomatic and security issues and the establishment of a stable administration is crucial, as the international situation surrounding us becomes increasingly difficult and complex,” Kishida said.
He added that a strong emphasis on universal ideals, as well as efforts to resolve global issues and protect the lives of the people would be the three guiding principles of what he called “a diplomacy of realism for the new era”.
Kishida also promised to prioritise tackling COVID-19 as Japan sees a spread of the Omicron variant, and pursue efforts to close the wealth gap and create a sustainable economy by creating a “new type of capitalism” for the country.
