Ishiba delays meeting with Trump, citing legal restrictions

Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba has said that a meeting with U.S. President-elect Donald Trump, initially considered for after his departure from South America, has been delayed, after Trump’s team confirmed that no meetings with foreign leaders will take place before his January inauguration.
“We are considering holding a meeting as soon as possible at a time that is most convenient for both sides,” Ishiba told reporters on Saturday in Peru, where he was attending the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation forum.
According to Ishiba, Trump’s team explained that no meetings with foreign leaders will take place before the inauguration due to legal constraints under the Logan Act, despite numerous requests.
The 1799 law bars private citizens from negotiating diplomatic matters with foreign governments.
Following Trump’s victory over Vice President Kamala Harris, Ishiba had sought to build a relationship with the incoming president before his inauguration. During a phone call with Trump on Nov. 7, the pair agreed to meet soon to strengthen the Japan-U.S. alliance.

Ishiba, who was voted in by lawmakers last Monday to remain prime minister, despite an election drubbing for the ruling coalition, will depart Brazil on Tuesday and return to Japan on Thursday morning. His travel itinerary includes a stopover in Los Angeles for refueling, but Ishiba said no meetings are scheduled.
Although then-Prime Minister Shinzo Abe met Trump before his inauguration in 2016, a Japanese government official explained that, due to the disciplined approach of incoming Chief of Staff Susan Wiles, no exceptions will be made this time, according to the Yomiuri Shimbun daily.
Trump met Argentine President Javier Milei during a private event at his residence on Nov. 14, but his team did not consider it a formal meeting, the report added.