Japanese PM Shigeru Ishiba has cancelled his June visit to the NATO Summit in the Netherlands, citing “various circumstances.” Foreign Minister Takeshi Iwaya will attend in his place, engaging in bilateral talks with global leaders amid rising international tensions and NATO’s evolving Indo-Pacific engagement strategy.
Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba has cancelled his planned visit to the NATO Summit scheduled from June 24 to 26 in The Hague, Netherlands. The announcement was made by Japan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs on Monday, citing “various circumstances” as the reason for the abrupt change in plans.
Originally, Ishiba was expected to continue Japan’s recent tradition of participation in NATO Summits, marking what would have been the fourth consecutive year a Japanese Prime Minister attended the gathering. Japan’s presence at these high-level meetings has become more prominent since it was first invited in 2022, reflecting Tokyo’s increasing interest in global security affairs and Indo-Pacific cooperation with the Euro-Atlantic alliance.
In place of Prime Minister Ishiba, Japan’s Minister for Foreign Affairs, Takeshi Iwaya, will now represent the country at the NATO-related events in the Netherlands. According to the statement released by the Foreign Ministry, Iwaya will also take the opportunity to hold a series of bilateral meetings with several nations, including members of the G7, to discuss pressing international issues.
This year’s NATO Summit is of particular significance, as the alliance of 32 member states faces heightened global security tensions. NATO has signalled that the gathering will include critical discussions and decisions aimed at strengthening collective defence and deterrence. Leaders are expected to approve a new defence investment plan, reportedly the most ambitious since the Cold War, and make strategic adjustments in response to a rapidly evolving threat landscape.
Ahead of the summit, NATO stated, “We live in a more dangerous world, and this is a critical moment for our security. Allies are coming together to reinforce their cooperation and their commitment to NATO.” Central to these discussions will be how NATO can remain robust, responsive, and united in addressing challenges such as regional conflicts, cyber warfare, hybrid threats, and competition with authoritarian states.
During a recent visit to the international Paris Air Show at Le Bourget, NATO Deputy Secretary General Radmila Shekerinska underlined the importance of the upcoming summit. She met with leading defence industry figures and outlined the bloc’s expectations, emphasizing the need for enhanced defence spending and capability development in line with the targets agreed upon by NATO Defence Ministers on June 5, 2025.
Japan’s anticipated participation had been seen as a signal of its ongoing commitment to work closely with NATO, particularly on Indo-Pacific issues. The Japanese Foreign Ministry had previously noted that Tokyo was looking forward to holding “discussions on specific modalities for cooperation between NATO and Indo-Pacific partners, including Japan.” The statement highlighted a shared recognition among allies that “security in the Euro-Atlantic and the Indo-Pacific regions is inseparable.”
With Foreign Minister Iwaya stepping in, Tokyo aims to ensure that Japan remains engaged in critical diplomatic dialogues at a time when global tensions—from the war in Ukraine to increasing strategic rivalry in the Indo-Pacific—are influencing security policy worldwide.
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While the precise reasons for Ishiba’s withdrawal remain unclear, diplomatic observers suggest that domestic or regional developments may have influenced the decision. Nevertheless, Japan’s ongoing diplomatic presence at the summit via Foreign Minister Iwaya signals that the country is not backing away from its deepening ties with NATO.
As global security challenges become more complex and interconnected, the importance of partnerships such as that between NATO and Japan continues to grow. Ishiba’s absence, while notable, is unlikely to derail Tokyo’s long-term strategic ambitions or its role in regional and global security cooperation.
