Japan to appoint minister for new defense policy

Prime Minister Abe said legal adjustments are necessary for Japan to exercise its right to self-defense and he will appoint a minister to take charge of the issue.

Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe said in a statement on July 6 that he plans to appoint a minister to be in charge of new defense policy.

Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe

Prime Minister Abe said legal adjustments are necessary for Japan to exercise its right to self-defense and he will appoint a minister to take charge of the issue.

Prime Minister Abe's government decided on July 1 to change the interpretation of the pacifist Constitution regarding the exercise of the right to collective self-defense. This decision was made despite some criticism from the public and even within the ruling coalition, expressing concerns that Article 9 of the Constitution opposing war would lose its effectiveness.

After passing this decision, the next step for the Japanese Government will be to prepare the legal framework by amending and formulating relevant laws to implement the policy change.

This is the first time since World War II that Japan is aiming for a larger role for the Self-Defense Forces (SDF) in overseas military missions./.

According to VOV