Japan brushes off Australian PM's melon drama
TOKYO: Tokyo on Wednesday played down comments by Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese about melons gifted to him by his Japanese counterpart that have triggered a row Down Under, stressing the leaders’ good relationship.
Tokyo has downplayed remarks made by Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese regarding melons presented to him by his Japanese counterpart, Sanae Takaichi. The Japanese government clarified that the Prime Minister did not convey the comments as reported by the media. Despite this, the dinner hosted by Albanese during his visit to Australia in May was described as relaxed and contributing to the personal trust relationship between the leaders.
Albanese had previously apologized for his comments in a podcast interview where he named Kylie Minogue as someone he would "shag." The recent controversy was sparked when Albanese referred to the melons as "the strangest diplomatic gift" in an interview. Opposition leader in Australia has called for Albanese to apologize for what he deemed as disrespectful behavior.
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