Japan to Hold G-20 Summit in Osaka Next Year

Tokyo, Feb. 20 (Jiji Press)--The Japanese government decided Tuesday to hold a meeting of the top leaders of the Group of 20 major and emerging economies in Osaka next year, informed sources said. Japan will be the G-20 chair in 2019. The first summit of the 20 economies in Japan is likely to take place between late June and early July, because there are a number of important events in the first half of 2019 and in the autumn, according to the sources. Among such events are Emperor Akihito's abdication on April 30, Crown Prince Naruhito's accession to the throne the following day and elections in April and summer. The "Sokuirei Seiden no Gi" proclamation ceremony, the main event to celebrate the Imperial succession, would be held in October. Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga told Ichiro Matsui, governor of Osaka Prefecture, over the phone Tuesday that the summit will be held in the western Japan prefecture's capital city as sought by the prefectural and city governments. The Osaka camp plans to host the summit at the Intex Osaka convention center in the city's bay area. Aichi Prefecture and the city of Fukuoka also had put forward G-20 summit bids, but the central government gave Osaka the highest mark in terms of accommodation and security. The sources also said a meeting of G-20 finance ministers and central bank chiefs will be held in Fukuoka while venues for other ministerial meetings have not yet been decided. END