Ishiba talks unrest, tariffs after G7 summit
Before leaving the venue of the Group of 7 summit in Canada, Japanese Prime Minister Ishiba Shigeru held a news conference, saying that the joint statement calling for de-escalation in the Middle East was significant.
Prime Minister Ishiba said: "The G7 has contributed to global stability and prosperity over many years, united by shared values such as freedom and democracy. The value of the G7 is evident in how we have worked together across differences in national positions to address the challenges of each era."
As for the Middle East, Ishiba said his government is monitoring the impact the unrest will have on gas prices.
He said, "In case the confusion in the Middle East drags on and the prices of gasoline and other oil products continue to rise sharply, I have made an instruction to consider necessary measures to prevent it from having a major impact on people's lives."
The prime minister went to the G7 hoping to discuss tariffs with the US president. He said the talks will continue.
He said: "At the Moment, we have yet to reach an agreement on a package over tariffs. I had a frank discussion with the US President Trump for about 30 minutes on Monday, and agreed to instruct the ministers in charge to proceed with further talks between the two countries. I would like to continue to make arrangements so that an agreement will be beneficial to both Japan and the US, while protecting our interests."
Trump was not the only world leader Ishiba met for sit-down talks. He also held his first-ever meeting with the new South Korean president, Lee Jae-myung. They agreed to continue cooperating on issues like North Korea.
Ishiba is scheduled to attend another major meeting -- the NATO summit -- in the Netherlands next week.
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