Japan's Takaichi to skip UN climate talks in Antalya

08:54, 9 November 2026

Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi will miss the summit meeting of a U.N. climate change conference in Türkiye this week, the government has said, citing scheduling constraints and other factors, Kyodo reported.

Japan's Takaichi to skip UN climate talks — Photo credit: Kyodo

Takaichi's absence from the U.N. climate change conference, known as COP31, to be held in Antalya in southwestern Türkiye from Monday through Nov. 20, would mark the third consecutive year that a Japanese leader has not attended its summit-level talks. The two-day summit for world leaders is scheduled to run through Thursday.

Chief Cabinet Secretary Minoru Kihara told a regular press conference last week in Tokyo that Environment Minister Hiroyoshi Sasagawa is scheduled to represent Japan at the conference, participating in a ministerial-level meeting and delivering a statement.

Asked whether Takaichi's absence could affect Japan's standing on climate issues, Kihara cited Sasagawa's planned attendance, saying the government "does not believe there is cause for concern that this will lead to a decline in Japan's presence in climate diplomacy."

Earlier, it was reported that the 31st Conference of the Parties (COP31) to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change would begin Monday in Antalya, Türkiye.

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Arailym Temirgaliyeva

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