This is what Prime Minister Fumio Kishida (65) said. At a press conference held on August 31, Prime Minister Kishida emphasized the meaning of “condolence diplomacy” at the state funeral of former Prime Minister Abe scheduled to be held on September 27 .
One of the reasons for the Kishida administration to hold a state funeral is condolence diplomacy. But is it really the reason?
“Condolence diplomacy can also be evaluated as a form of diplomacy. It is important to create places for dialogue in various places on the international stage. Problem: When former Prime Minister Keizo Obuchi died, it was a joint funeral for the LDP and Cabinet, but dignitaries from around the world have come.”
Mr. Toru Magozaki, former head of the Information Bureau of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and former Iranian ambassador to Japan. It is said that condolence diplomacy itself is not a reason for a state funeral, as it is also held at the Liberal Democratic Party and Cabinet joint funeral.
In fact, President Clinton from the United States and President Kim Dae-jung from South Korea visited the mass funeral of former Prime Minister Obuchi in 2000. From Southeast Asia, the presidents of the Philippines and Indonesia, and the prime ministers of Thailand, Cambodia, Malaysia, and Laos visited to pay their condolences.
Prime Minister Fumio Kishida (65) announced some of the foreign leaders who will be attending the Diet session on Sept. 8. Vice President Harris of the United States, Prime Ministers of Canada, India, Australia, Singapore, and the President of Vietnam are expected to visit. Canada, Singapore, and India are the only three countries where dignitaries higher than Obuchi’s joint funeral will visit.
Despite having a “diplomatic legacy,” it feels like it has been downgraded, but why is that?
“First of all, the timing is so bad. In the second half of September, the United Nations General Assembly will be held in New York, and the leaders of each country will give speeches there. Therefore, there is no need to come all the way to Japan.
Originally, the Foreign Ministry bureaucrats should at least advise that the meeting should be avoided when UN leaders gather. However, during the Abe-Suga era, there was a convention that “if you say something contrary to the government’s policy, you will be thrown out.” I think the Kishida administration is fading away, but I guess the bureaucrats are still waiting and waiting.”
■ Former Prime Minister Abe’s behavior that former German Chancellor Angela Merkel cannot forget
Furthermore, diplomacy is only possible if there is a possibility of resolving issues through dialogue. However, even if he visits Japan, he will not get such an opportunity.
It would be nice if there was a possibility of peace being reached when you came to Japan, but Japan’s attitude is very similar to that of the United States. , I don’t think the talks will progress diplomatically.
Meanwhile, Russian President Vladimir Putin has said he will attend the G8 in Indonesia in November. At this time, Indonesia also invited Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky. In that way, if they are specifically making efforts for peace, such as mediating between Russia and Ukraine, there is an incentive to go there, but there is no such thing at this state funeral.”
“Former Prime Minister Abe was highly evaluated overseas,” is one of the reasons given by the government for the state funeral. Then, what is the actual evaluation of former Prime Minister Abe?
“First of all, a very typical example is the response of the United States. Former Prime Minister Abe, who has been based on American diplomacy, has fully appealed that he has a personal relationship with former Presidents Trump and former Presidents Obama. Two former presidents rushed to the death of former Prime Minister Abe.
That’s why I said Trump, Trump… But this time, former President Trump will not be visiting Japan. In other words, in the end, it was just words, and they didn’t actually create a deep relationship.”
Furthermore, the response taken by former German Chancellor Angela Merkel is also a manifestation of the evaluation of former Prime Minister Abe.
“Former Chancellor Merkel has been with Abe for a long time. This probably means that former Prime Minister Abe is not highly regarded.
At that time, former Chancellor Angela Merkel maintained her stance of saying what she should say to the United States, even at summit meetings and other occasions. At the G7 summit in Canada in 2018, former Prime Minister Abe watched with his arms folded next to Trump as former Chancellor Angela Merkel approached Trump. “Japan is not a country that moves on its own, and there is no dialogue with Japan in the true sense of the word,” may be what former Chancellor Merkel thinks.
