Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 19 October 2021
499. Deputy Catherine Murphy asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs if he has engaged with the new Japanese Prime Minister to date in 2021; and if he will provide a briefing note in respect of those engagements. [50559/21]
View answerPrime Minister Kishida was designated by the Diet in Japan on 4 October. The House of Representatives was dissolved on 14 October, and a general election is scheduled to take place on 31 October. I have not as yet had any direct engagement with the Prime Minister in his new role. However, I recall that Prime Minister Kishida visited Ireland in 2017, in his capacity as Minister for Foreign Affairs of Japan, on the occasion of the 60th anniversary of diplomatic relations between the Japan and Ireland.
Ireland and Japan have a strong history of engagement and cooperation, both bilaterally and in various multilateral settings, including first and foremost the United Nations, to which our two countries are so strongly committed. I look forward to deepening this cooperation in the coming period.
