President Alexander Stubb will hold talks with Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba. Photo: JIJI Press / AFP / Lehtikuva
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President Alexander Stubb of Finland began a four-day official visit to Japan on Sunday. The trip focuses on strengthening cooperation in defence and technology and addressing international security issues, including developments in the Indo-Pacific and Ukraine.
He is accompanied by his wife Suzanne Innes-Stubb, Minister for Foreign Trade and Development Ville Tavio, three members of Parliament, and a business delegation from Finland’s defence and tech sectors.
Stubb is scheduled to meet Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba, Emperor Naruhito, and senior Japanese officials. The visit comes at a politically sensitive time for Japan, where Ishiba leads a minority government following a major funding scandal that forced out his predecessor.
Stubb’s programme begins Monday with visits to the cities of Hakui and Nakanoto. On Tuesday, he will deliver speeches at the University of Tokyo and the Japan Business Federation. Later the same day, he will attend a reception at the Finnish Embassy marking Finland’s Defence Forces Day.
On Wednesday, Stubb will participate in a European Union-hosted roundtable on Indo-Pacific security and meet the Speaker of Japan’s House of Representatives. The visit concludes Thursday with a trip to EXPO 2025 in Osaka. Finland will take part in the Nordic pavilion, which centres on themes of trust and collaboration.
Stubb’s visit follows recent diplomatic activity between the two countries. In December, Finnish Prime Minister Petteri Orpo met with Ishiba in Tokyo, where they discussed Ukraine and military ties between Russia and North Korea.
Preparations for the presidential visit included a meeting between Stubb and Japanese Ambassador Takashi Okada in Helsinki two weeks ago. According to the Embassy, they discussed the goals of the Japan visit and current international concerns, including the war in Ukraine.
The last Finnish presidential visit to Japan took place in 2019, when former president Sauli Niinistö attended Emperor Naruhito’s enthronement ceremony.
HT
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Source: www.helsinkitimes.fi
