Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amir Abdollahian is considering visiting Japan on Monday in order to meet with Prime Minister Fumio Kishida, a Japanese government source has said.
The meeting is being arranged amid suspicion among Western nations that Iran has been providing Russia with weapons used in its war on Ukraine. Kishida may bring up the issue at the talks, the source said Friday, with Tokyo aiming to leverage its relationship with Tehran to help end the prolonged war.
During the meeting, which is being organized at Iran's request, Kishida will express Japan's position of not tolerating any unilateral attempt to change the status quo by force, given Russia's ongoing invasion of Ukraine since February last year, the source said.
Amir Abdollahian also plans to hold a separate meeting with his Japanese counterpart, Yoshimasa Hayashi. He will be the first Iranian foreign minister to travel to Japan since Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi assumed office in August 2021.
Japan holds this year's presidency of the Group of Seven nations, which have maintained economic sanctions on Russia over the war.
Iran has been lambasted by the United States, Britain and the European Union for providing military equipment to Russia, such as drones.