New Foreign Minister Yoko Kamikawa made her global diplomatic debut on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly in New York on Monday, holding her first in-person talks with Group of Seven top diplomats and inking a key agreement with the U.N. nuclear watchdog on the release of treated Fukushima wastewater.
Kamikawa, who was handed Japan’s diplomatic reins in last Wednesday’s Cabinet reshuffle, got off to a quick start, holding bilateral talks with her U.S., British and Brazilian counterparts and the head of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) before gathering with G7 foreign ministers.
Her appointment comes at a critical time for Tokyo, as Prime Minister Fumio Kishida looks to strengthen Japan’s security alliance with the United States and bolster ties with other partners to tackle China’s growing military assertiveness, North Korea’s repeated missile launches and Russia’s war in Ukraine.