Japan's Kishida Expresses Serious Concern over Ukraine

Tokyo, Jan 26 (Jiji Press)--Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida on Wednesday expressed serious concern over rising tensions over Ukraine. "With grave concern, we are closely watching the buildup of Russian forces near the border" with Ukraine, Kishida told the Budget Committee of the House of Representatives, the lower chamber of parliament. "We must respond appropriately" in cooperation with the international community, including Japan's partners in the Group of Seven forum, he added. The western city of Hiroshima, which includes Kishida's constituency, has expressed hopes of hosting the G-7 summit under Japan's presidency in 2023. Regarding this, Kishida said, "Realizing nuclear disarmament and nonproliferation and a world without nuclear weapons is my lifework." But he did not say whether he backs Hiroshima's bid. "I'd like to make a decision after comprehensively examining the national interest and various other factors," he said. Regarding planned revisions to key defense documents including the National Security Strategy by year-end, Kishida said Japan needs to strengthen its defense capabilities drastically in response to the increasingly tough security environment. "We will realistically consider all options, such as acquiring the capability to attack enemy bases, without excluding any of them, in addition to working to improve our capability to intercept missiles," he said. END