Japanese PM Shigeru Ishiba misses APEC group photo due to traffic jam

KATHMANDU: Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba missed the group photo session at the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit in Lima, Peru, due to being caught in a traffic jam while returning from a cemetery visit.

The photo session on Saturday proceeded without Ishiba as he was delayed.

Prominent leaders, including U.S. President Joe Biden and Chinese President Xi Jinping, attended the session.

Xi stood prominently at the front center, while Biden, who is set to step down in January, was positioned toward the back.

Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshimasa Hayashi confirmed that Ishiba was delayed by traffic after visiting a cemetery. “The group photo was taken at the end of the meeting, so the Prime Minister’s absence didn’t affect relationship-building with other leaders,” Hayashi said during a press conference. “Throughout the two-day APEC summit, the Prime Minister effectively conveyed his messages and made his presence felt.”

According to Hayashi, Ishiba had visited the grave of former Peruvian President Alberto Fujimori, who passed away in September at the age of 86.

Fujimori, of Japanese descent, was the first president of Peru with Japanese heritage. The traffic jam that delayed Ishiba was caused by an accident as he returned from the suburban Lima cemetery to the summit venue.