Russian Envoy to Attend Nagasaki A-Bomb Memorial Ceremony; 1st Time for Russian Envoy to Attend Ceremony Since Start of Ukraine War
Russian Ambassador to Japan Nikolay Nozdrev said Thursday he was invited by Nagasaki to attend a peace memorial ceremony on Aug. 9 to mark 80 years since an atomic bomb was dropped on the city, and that he plans to go, according to the Tass news agency.
If realized, it will be the first time for a Russian representative to participate in the annual ceremony since Russia started its aggression against Ukraine in 2022.
The Nagasaki city government had not invited Russia and Belarus, which supports the Russian aggression, since 2022.
Last year, the ambassadors of all Group of Seven countries, except Japan, and the ambassador of the European Union to Japan did not attend the peace ceremony in response to the city's decision not to invite Israel.
Given the situation, the city government announced in May that all 157 countries and regions with diplomatic missions in Japan, as well as the EU delegation to Japan, would be invited to this year's ceremony.
Regarding the Hiroshima peace memorial ceremony on Aug. 6, Nozdrev would not attend, as the Hiroshima city government changed its method of gathering foreign attendees. The city did not send invitations but sent letters instead, leaving the decision to attend up to each country and region.
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The significant global trade policy activity following the United States' announcement – and subsequent pause – of reciprocal tariffs is set to profoundly impact the future trajectory of international trade. Southeast Asia stands out, due to the staggering number of new multilateral alliances and bilateral partnerships it has found itself in the midst of. Three distinct power centers of trade – the European Union, China, and the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) – have emerged, with ambitions to strategically ramp up trade with the region. This is being complemented by efforts to strengthen existing relationships among Southeast Asian countries, including through leveraging digitalization to boost regional trade. Southeast Asian countries, having faced some of the highest reciprocal tariff rates under the Trump administration, were expected to proactively diversify their trade relationships. However, leading global trading powers – with the EU, China, and the GCC at the front of the line – have reached out first, showing they are more than keen to forge new partnerships. The motivation for this outreach is not rooted in just the manufacturing or export capabilities of the region but also its growing role as a consumer of global goods. The significant economic potential of Southeast Asia is actively reshaping its competitive edge and causing tectonic shifts in global trade relationships. International trade ties look set to strengthen in the Southeast Asian region and beyond, independent of the fate of the United States' reciprocal tariffs. Evolving Rhetoric on Global Trade As the 90-day pause on U.S. reciprocal tariffs approaches its July 9 end date, initial concerns about the imminent breakdown of a rules-based global trade order have notably shifted. Instead, the narrative is being shaped by overwhelming international consensus on the critical importance of a multilateral trading system. From Germany's former Chancellor Angela Merkel to Singapore's Deputy Prime Minister Gan Kim Yong, leaders from across the globe have been openly advocating for forging new alliances to not only defend but also expand a rules-based trading system. As a testament to the diversity of emerging alliances, the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) recently released a joint statement with Japan, China, and South Korea, reaffirming the group's commitment to multilateralism in trade. The continued preference for an open, inclusive, equitable, and transparent multilateral trading system indicates the value seen in the core tenet of free trade: realizing economic gains through pursuit of comparative advantage across borders. 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Recent developments include the signing of an Agreement on Digital Trade with Singapore to set global standards for digital trade and reinvigoration of trade negotiations with Indonesia, Malaysia, and Thailand. Within days of the United States' announcement of reciprocal tariffs, Chinese President Xi Jinping embarked on a three-country tour to the hardest hit economies in the Southeast Asian region. His goal was clear: to build meaningful partnerships for safeguarding the multilateral trading system. He visited Cambodia, Vietnam, and Malaysia to shore up trade ties and ended up signing 37, 45, and 31 agreements with these states, respectively. Following this, China reaffirmed its commitment to ASEAN, writ large, by concluding negotiations for the China-ASEAN FTA version 3.0, which includes new elements such as the digital and green economies. These are indicative of China's bolstered intent to intensify engagement with SEA economies in a bid to stand up a broader coalition to protect the global free trade system. As the newest bloc to strategically engage with the Southeast Asian region on trade, the GCC has been building momentum for the past few months through FTA negotiations with Indonesia, which are expected to conclude by the end of 2025. The GCC recently commenced FTA negotiations with Malaysia as well, on the sidelines of the ASEAN Summit. Another key outcome of this summit was the GCC signing up as a primary participant in the new ASEAN-GCC-China trading bloc. There are significant economic gains based on comparative advantage to be unlocked through these new relationships. Moreover, the GCC's size and spending potential promise to make it a valuable trade partner for ASEAN. Strengthened Intra-ASEAN Trade Commitment Amid increased international engagement, Southeast Asian countries are also renewing their commitment to regional cooperation through both rhetoric and concrete actions. In a macro-level effort to boost regional trade and deepen intra-ASEAN integration, the bloc recently concluded negotiations on an upgraded ASEAN Trade in Goods Agreement. This revision further lowers all remaining regional tariffs and significantly removes non-tariff barriers to improve trade flows and enhance regional supply chain resilience. Zooming in to the bilateral level, Thailand and Indonesia, Southeast Asia's two biggest economies, are setting up a joint government committee to promote bilateral trade. Vietnam recently upgraded its relationship with Thailand to 'comprehensive strategic partnership' status, the highest such ranking used by Hanoi, to significantly expand market access and boost investment. 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