Japanese ambassador visits Kyiv with view toward reopening embassy

The Yomiuri Shimbun

16:43 JST, September 5, 2022

Japan is the only Group of Seven member yet to reopen its embassy in Ukraine, but that might soon change.

The Foreign Ministry announced Monday that Ambassador to Ukraine Kuninori Matsuda visited Kyiv from Aug. 22 through Sunday, with a view toward reopening the Japanese Embassy, which has been temporarily closed following Russia’s invasion.

This was Matsuda’s first visit to Ukraine since March, when embassy functions were relocated to Rzeszow in neighboring Poland.

Matsuda toured the embassy and met with Ukrainian Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal and other officials. According to the ministry, the embassy was not damaged, and Shmyhal expressed hope for an early reopening.

The Foreign Ministry is carefully considering whether to reopen the embassy amid Russia’s ongoing invasion of Ukraine.