Japan Finance Minister says may have to skip G20 meet due to domestic issues

FILE PHOTO:Japanese Finance Minister Shunichi Suzuki arrives for a news conference during the annual meeting of the International Monetary Fund and the World Bank, following last month’s deadly earthquake, in Marrakech, Morocco, October 13, 2023. REUTERS/Susana Vera/File Photo

By Tetsushi Kajimoto

TOKYO (Reuters) – Japanese Finance Minister Shunichi Suzuki said on Tuesday that he might have to skip a gathering of financial leaders from the Group of 20 major economies in Brazil later this month to ensure passage of budget bills in parliament.

The G20 financial leaders are scheduled to meet against the backdrop of conflicts in Ukraine and the Middle East and as emerging economies clamour for a bigger role in global institutions like the United Nations.

In Japan, prime minister Fumio Kishida is under pressure due to scandals within his own party, raising concerns whether his ruling Liberal Democratic Party’s budget bills could be passed in parliament.

“I have not made up my mind yet but given the need to pass budget bills by the fiscal year end, it won’t be easy to decide to attend,” Suzuki told reporters after a cabinet meeting.

(Reporting by Tetsushi Kajimoto; Editing by Shri Navaratnam)