Trump will meet with the widow of former Japanese Prime Minister Abe on Sunday, a source told Reuters

Author: Nandita Bose

(Reuters) – U.S. President-elect Donald Trump plans to meet Akie Abe, the widow of late Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, at a private dinner at his Florida resort on Sunday, a person familiar with the matter told Reuters.

The meeting comes as Tokyo seeks to forge closer ties with Trump before he takes office on January 20.

The US is Japan’s most important economic and security partner, while Tokyo is a key ally of Washington, which has military bases on China’s doorstep.

Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba tried to travel to the United States to meet with Trump after the G20 conference in Brazil on Nov. 18-19, but the meeting never materialized.

After Trump’s 2016 election, Shinzo Abe was the first foreign leader he met and they maintained a strong relationship during his first term in the White House. Trump has often spoken highly of Abe, who was assassinated in 2022 while giving a speech in Japan.

Although Akie Abe holds no government office, she has served as a bridge between her country and Trump. Trump has called her regularly to check in on her since her husband’s murder, CNN anchor Caitlan Collins wrote on X earlier Thursday.

The dinner will be attended by Melania Trump, the wife of the president-elect, Collins wrote.

The Trump transition did not respond to a request for comment.

Ishiba told reporters on November 16 that Trump’s transition team had informed them that under US law, the president-elect cannot meet with foreign leaders before taking office. However, since the election, Trump has met with several foreign leaders, including Argentine President Javier Millei and Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau.

Akie Abe could not be reached for comment. Her plans to travel to the United States in hopes of meeting Trump were reported earlier this week by Japanese media.

The Japanese government declined to comment on its announced plans to meet with Trump.