Japan lower house speaker Mori visits Ukraine

Kyiv, Ukraine (Kyodo) -- Japanese House of Representatives Speaker Eisuke Mori ventured to Kyiv on Monday, marking the inaugural visit by a Japanese lower house speaker since Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. Mori, a prominent Japanese politician well-versed in Ukrainian affairs, is also the first to visit since a 2011 trip by Takahiro Yokomichi, who sadly passed away.

Mori is anticipated to engage in discussions with high-ranking Ukrainian officials to reinforce Japan's steadfast backing for the nation. As one of Japan's top state officials, alongside the prime minister and the chief justice of the Supreme Court, Mori's visit holds significant weight.

The last appearance of a top Japanese state official in Ukraine transpired last year when then-Prime Minister Fumio Kishida met with President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and extended an invitation for Zelenskyy to attend the Group of Seven summit in Hiroshima.

Mori's engagement with Ukraine dates back to the group's inception in 1995, where he chaired the cross-party Japan-Ukraine parliamentary friendship group until this year. During his meetings, he is expected to emphasize Japan's unyielding solidarity with Ukraine, emphasizing its stance against Russia's attempts to unilaterally alter the status quo through force, while expressing support for Ukraine's reconstruction efforts.

Given Mori's extensive involvement in Japan's nuclear energy policy, the conversation may also encompass lessons from the 1986 Chernobyl nuclear disaster in northern Ukraine and the 2011 Fukushima Daiichi nuclear crisis.

As chairman of the Japan-Ukraine parliamentary friendship group, Mori has previously journeyed to Ukraine in 2013, 2015, and 2019, including an inspection of the Chernobyl nuclear power plant. He met Zelenskyy during the Ukrainian president's visit to Japan for Emperor Naruhito's enthronement ceremony in 2019. Mori also attended a summit of lower house speakers from the G7 nations held in France earlier this month, where he conversed with Ruslan Stefanchuk, chairman of Ukraine's parliament.