Recent spikes in Italian and Spanish bond yields are worrying Japan, Finance Minister Jun Azumi said Friday, while calling on Germany, the biggest economy in the eurozone, to play a more active role in defusing the tension over the sovereign debt crisis in the area.
Azumi also stated his view that the International Monetary Fund should join worldwide efforts to address the problem and that Japan should be part of such a crusade. He declined comment on whether the Group of Seven leading economies, including Japan and the United States, should gather for another meeting this year.
"I think it is because they are struggling to secure political stability," Azumi told reporters, as Italy's government bond yields remained at historically high levels, while those of Spain rose Thursday following a poorly received debt auction in Madrid.