Japan Foreign Minister Iwaya to attend Trump inauguration ceremony

Japanese Foreign Minister Takeshi Iwaya said on Sunday he planned to attend Donald Trump’s inauguration as US president on January 20, as Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba’s government hopes to maintain close ties with its security ally.

“We aim to build a relationship of trust with the Trump administration securely,” Iwaya told a talk show on public broadcaster NHK. He said he was seeking a meeting with Senator Marco Rubio, Trump’s pick to be secretary of state.

India and Australia also announced that their foreign ministers would attend the swearing-in as Trump returns to the White House.

It will be Iwaya’s first visit to the United States since he became foreign minister in October. Japan, a long-time US ally that enjoyed good relations with Trump during his first administration, is keen to get off to a good start in his second.

Ishiba is looking into visiting the United States as early as in the first half of February for his first summit with Trump, Japan’s Yomiuri Shimbun reported on Sunday.

Iwaya said he aimed to meet with other senior officials from the incoming administration to lay the groundwork for an Ishiba visit.