US President-elect Donald Trump is reportedly planning to host a private dinner for Abe Akie, the widow of former Japanese Prime Minister Abe Shinzo.
The dinner is expected to take place on Sunday at Trump’s Mar-a-Lago estate in Florida. His wife, Melania, is also expected to attend.
According to CNN, Trump and Akie have stayed in contact after her husband’s assassination two years ago. The dinner was arranged at one of their conversations, and not through a diplomatic channel.
Trump and Abe Shinzo built and maintained a long and close relationship throughout the years. Shinzo was the first foreign leader Trump met after his win in 2016. Trump once called him “the greatest Prime Minister in Japanese history.”
Abe Akie does not hold a government position, but she has been aiming to carry on her late husband’s legacy. The dinner comes as Japan seeks to maintain close ties with the US before Trump’s return to office.
Current Prime Minister Ishiba Shigeru has yet to meet with the president-elect in person. The pair have only spoken on the phone.