Foreign Minister Yohei Kono pressed Japan's case Wednesday for a permanent U.N. Security Council seat in outlining the country's global diplomacy at the General Assembly.
Kono devoted most of his 25-minute speech at the podium of the General Assembly to the UNSC bid, saying Japan has been playing a growing role in global affairs outside the military field.
Building on a speech Prime Minister Yoshiro Mori delivered to the U.N. Millennium Summit last week, Kono directly raised Japan's case for a permanent UNSC seat.
Japan is ready to "assume a greater responsibility as a permanent member of the council, mobilizing its capabilities and its experiences in various areas, such as disarmament and nonproliferation, development and human security," Kono said.