Prime Minister Fumio Kishida attends a meeting at the G7 leaders' summit in Hiroshima on May 21. By Kantaro Komiya and Satoshi SugiyamaJapanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida said on Wednesday the country had no plans to become a NATO member but acknowledged the security alliance's plan to open a liaison office in Japan. Kishida's comments came after the Japanese ambassador to the United States said earlier this month that the U.S.-led military pact was planning a Tokyo office, the first in Asia, to facilitate consultations in the region. "I am not aware of any decision made" at NATO regarding the establishment of the office, Kishida told a Wednesday parliament session, adding his country was not planning to join NATO as a member or semi-member state. Kishida is arranging to attend a NATO summit scheduled to be held in Lithuania in July, Kyodo news agency reported later on Wednesday, citing Japanese government officials.
