TOKYO: Kyiv has approached Tokyo with an offer for Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy to deliver a speech to the Diet, Japan’s parliament, Japanese government and ruling party sources said Wednesday.

In Japan, no virtual speech has ever been given during a plenary meeting of either chamber of the Diet. 

If considered, Zelenskyy is expected to deliver a speech either online or as a video message.

Zelenskyy, who has been urging countries around the world to bolster their support for Ukraine since Russia began invading it, addressed the British and Canadian parliaments online on March 8 and Tuesday, respectively.

A senior LDP lawmaker said that Japan is thinking of arranging the speech for as early as next week after the government’s fiscal 2022 budget passes the Diet.

Japan is exploring several plans, including one to set up a large screen at the two chambers of the Diet and another to use a conference room in an office building for members of the House of Representatives, the lower chamber.

At Wednesday’s meeting, Sumio Mabuchi, the CDP’s Diet affairs head, told his LDP counterpart, Tsuyoshi Takagi, “We should rack our brains and consider (Ukraine’s offer) positively.”

CDP leader Kenta Izumi said on Twitter that talks between Prime Minister KISHIDA Fumio and Zelenskyy and the announcement of a joint statement would be a prerequisite for the proposed Diet speech by the Ukrainian president.

Since a speech by a foreign leader has significant influence, it would be dangerous to discuss the matter only from a perspective of technical issues, Izumi warned.

He added that the content of Zelenskyy’s speech should be within the boundaries agreed by the two nations.

Meanwhile, Nobuyuki Baba, co-leader of opposition Nippon Ishin no Kai (Japan Innovation Party), told a party meeting that his party will cooperate to consider a speech by Zelenskyy.

JIJI Press