Top spokesperson of the Japanese government said on Friday (January 6) said that Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida has been invited to visit Ukraine. Chief Cabinet Secretary Hirokazu Matsuno told a regular news conference that the invitation was given by the head of Ukraine’s Presidential Office Andriy Yermak to Japan’s ambassador to Ukraine on Wednesday.
“Japan stands with the citizens of Ukraine … and takes appropriate steps as this year’s G7 chair,” Matsuno said, referring to the Group of Seven (G7) nations.
Japanese PM Kishida is due to visit G7 member countries. The list includes France, Italy, the United Kingdom, Canada and the United States. It is a key diplomatic tour before Japan hosts G7 summit in May in Hiroshima.
Ukraine has rejected a Christmas ceasefire proposed by Russia. As per Orthodox Christian faith, Christmas is celebrated on January 7. Russian President Vladimir Putin has ordered ceasefire on January 6 and 7.
The Kremlin said in a statement: “Taking into account the appeal of His Holiness Patriarch Kirill, I (Putin) instruct the defence minister of the Russian Federation to introduce from 12:00 (0900 GMT) on January 6, 2023 until 24:00 (2100 GMT) on January 7, 2023 a ceasefire along the entire line of contact between the sides in Ukraine.”
Ukraine has called declaration of ceaserfire a ‘hypocrisy’
(With inputs from agencies)
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