Next year¡¯s Group of Seven summit of advanced countries in Shima, Mie Prefecture, will be held on May 26 and 27, Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga announced Tuesday.
A senior official later said those dates were preferred because the weather is likely to be better than in June, when the annual G-7 summits are typically held but also the middle of Japan¡¯s rainy season.
Suga, during his daily news conference, only said the dates were decided after consulting with the other member countries: the United States, Britain, France, Germany, Italy and Canada.
Japanese politicians say the G-7 summit will be a great opportunity to boost Shima¡¯s economy and the tourism industry in the surrounding area.
The government has cited the city¡¯s beautiful scenery as one of the reasons for choosing it as the G-7 venue. The famed Ise Shrine is also nearby.
During the news conference, Suga was asked if Japan will try to invite Russia to attend the summit. He only said : ¡°Nothing has been decided yet.¡±
Russia was expelled from what used to be the G-8 in March last year after it annexed the Crimean Peninsula, straining its ties with the U.S. and many European countries.
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