ISTANBUL

Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba has planned to postpone his meeting with US President-elect Donald Trump until at least February, against the latter’s willingness to meet with him ahead of his inauguration on Jan. 20.

“But Ishiba thought it would be desirable for both sides to hold a first formal bilateral summit when he visits the United States in February or possibly later,” the Tokyo-based Kyodo News reported, citing Japanese officials.

The US and Japan are among the oldest allies of the post-World War II era. Japan hosts more than 50,000 American troops under a bilateral pact while the two economies are also members of exclusive groupings like G-7 and Quad, among others.

Ishiba, who was re-elected as the premier in October, had earlier sought to meet Trump "at an early date" to further underpin the bilateral alliance.

While some voices within Ishiba’s government wanted him to meet with Trump in mid-January, the Japanese prime minister had said there were “various views" about the timing.

It came as Ishiba leads a minority government after the ruling collation of the Liberal Democratic Party and Komeito suffered an election loss, resulting in a minority government after September general polls.

Ishiba will be busy in the coming weeks as he will try to shore up support from opposition lawmakers to push through his record budget of 115.5 trillion yen ($730 billion).

The parliament, locally known as the National Diet, is expected to convene on Jan. 24.

Notably, Akie Abe, the widow of the late Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, visited and met with Trump and his wife Melania in Florida earlier this month.