Japanese Prime Minister Ishiba Shigeru has stressed the need for the international community to engage in efforts to prevent conflicts in the Middle East from expanding into a full-fledged war.
Ishiba made the remark during a conference call among leaders of the Group of Seven nations on Wednesday, held to discuss the crisis in the Middle East. He assumed office just the day before.
Ishiba said security in the Indo-Pacific, in which Japan is located, is closely related to security in the Middle East and Europe. He noted that close cooperation among the G7 countries will become all the more essential.
He expressed serious concern over the situation in the Middle East, including Iran’s missile attack against Israel, and condemned such escalation, saying it cannot be tolerated.
He pointed out that the international community, including the G7, should call on all relevant parties to exercise utmost restraint and should pursue efforts to de-escalate the tensions.
He added that Japan will make diplomatic efforts and continue to reach out to Iran.
Ishiba later spoke to reporters. He said other G7 leaders told him that they were glad to have him in the meeting.
He said he will continue to use the G7 framework to express Japan’s views while keeping the country’s national interests in mind.