Tokyo Japan January 4 ANI Sputnik Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida said Tuesday he won't make any overseas visits before the regular parliamentary session in January due to the spread of COVID 19 in Japan and around the world.
In light of the domestic and overseas spread of the novel coronaviruses, I have decided not to make overseas trips before the regular Diet session this month, Kishida said at the New Year's press conference, quoted by Japanese news agency Kyodo News.
According to the news agency, the prime minister will focus on a COVID 19 response, specifically the talks with Australia on the Japan-Australia Reciprocal Access Agreement and the US on enhancing bilateral ties between the two counties.
With strict border control measures, the prime minister said that he intends to focus on domestic measures to counter the spread of the Omicron variant into Japan and that the Omicron variant has managed to minimize entry into Japan.
On November 17, Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison said Tokyo and Canberra had reached an agreement on the Japan-Australia Reciprocal Access treaty that will deepen the countries' strategic and security relationship.
The country discovered the first case of Omicron in early December. Japan hasn't introduced internal restrictions, but has stopped issuing new visas to foreigners, and has suspended those already issued for businessmen and students. Since December 2020, tourists have not been able to enter the country.