Japanese Prime Minister Kishida Fumio is on his way to Hiroshima to host his counterparts at the Group of Seven summit. He is scheduled to meet US President Joe Biden on Thursday, one day before the summit gets underway.
Kishida spoke to reporters as he left Tokyo. He said, "I want the summit to be an opportunity to convey the G7 countries' strong determination towards a world without nuclear weapons and to safeguard a free and open international order based on the rule of law."
G7 leaders are scheduled to discuss the situation in Ukraine and geopolitical challenges in the Indo-Pacific. Food security and the state of the global economy will also be on the agenda.
President Biden has already left for Hiroshima but is cutting his visit abroad short as his government grapples with a standoff over the US debt ceiling.
Kishida and Biden are expected to talk about the response capabilities of their countries' alliance amid growing concerns over China and North Korea.
They are also expected to exchange opinions on cooperation in the economic field, including strengthening supply chains for semiconductors and important minerals.
The leaders are expected to make final adjustments on issues to be discussed from Friday, such as how to deal with sanctions against Russia and how to support Ukraine.
Kishida hopes to highlight the risks of nuclear weapons in the city that was the site of the world's first atomic bombing in 1945. On Friday, leaders are scheduled to visit the Hiroshima Peace Memorial Museum, which is dedicated to detailing the devastation.