Japan will host a meeting next year of leaders from Pacific island countries and territories in the coastal city of Shima, Mie Prefecture, to discuss cooperation on mitigating risks from natural disasters.
The government has hosted the Pacific Islands Leaders Meeting every three years since 1997, focusing on matters ranging from conservation and disaster management to sustainable use of maritime resources.
Shima was chosen to host the next meeting because it has experience trying to resolve issues common with the summit participants, Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga said Monday.
The previous meeting was held in Iwaki, Fukushima Prefecture, in 2018 and brought together representatives from 19 nations and territories including Australia, New Zealand and Papua New Guinea.