New Delhi: Japan’s foreign minister Yoshimasa Hayashi will not be attending the G20 Foreign Ministers’ meet taking place in India from Wednesday and would instead prioritise parliamentary business, as per a report by the Japan Times quoting a government official as saying. 


A deputy minister is likely to be dispatched in his place, the report added. 


Although it is not clear whether the minister will attend a Friday meeting of the Quad, the official said.


The development comes at a time when Kishida government is making efforts to bolster ties with India amid increasing concerns over China’s assertive behaviour in the region, as well as Russia’s war in Ukraine. 


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Additionally, Japan and India had conducted their first joint military air drills in January this year Kishida’s government is making arrangements to invite Australia and India to the G7 summit in May to discuss issues including Ukraine, nuclear disarmament and climate change, reported public broadcaster NHK. 


Last September, Prime Minister Narendra Modi travelled to Tokyo where he attended the state funeral for former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and had held talks with PM Kishisda. 


The news of Hayashi not attending the G20 meet has sparked criticism from lawmakers and members of the public from his country on social media who said it was a lost opportunity to show leadership as Japan prepares to host the Group of Seven summit in May.


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“It’s a regrettable decision that means forfeiting a chance to emphasize the importance of the rule of law to the developing countries that take part in G20,” Goshi Hosono, a ruling Liberal Democratic Party lawmaker said on Twitter.


Hosono, who previously belonged to the opposition Democratic Party of Japan, added that such decisions to prioritise parliament over diplomacy were often made to please the ruling parties. Hayashi had already arranged bilateral discussions with some of his counterparts on the sidelines of the meeting, Kyodo News reported.