17 May 2023 , 21:30
981
0
Rishi Sunak's super-rich wife Akshata Murty has made her debut on the world stage by joining the PM on a diplomatic blitz in Japan.
Ms Murty - the daughter of one of India's richest men - will meet with a host of spouses of global leaders, including the US First Lady Jill Biden.
The pair previously spent time together at the Coronation of King Charles III, where Ms Murty also accompanied Ukrainian First Lady Olena Zelenska.
Last year Ms Murty faced a storm after it was revealed she had non-dom status - allowing her not to pay tax in the UK on her overseas income.
The PM is also currently under investigation by the Commons sleaze watchdog over claims he failed to properly declare his wife’s financial interests.
Moment Russian rocket flies past Ukrainian shopping mall and explodes into flats
The PM speaking to reporters on the way to Japan (PA)At a Commons grilling, he did not tell MPs that she owns shares in a childcare firm that was boosted by a key policy in the Budget.
On the first day of the Japan visit Mr Sunak is expected to sign a "historic" pact with Japan, aiming to boost defence cooperation and combat instability in the region.
Mr Sunak and the Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida will agree to the "Hiroshima Accord".
The PM said: "Prime Minister Kishida and I are closely aligned on the importance of protecting peace and security in the Indo-Pacific and defending our values, including free and fair trade.
"The Hiroshima Accord will see us step up cooperation between our armed forces, grow our economies together and develop our world-leading science and technology expertise."
"It marks an exciting next phase in the UK and Japan's flourishing partnership".
After his visit to Tokyo, Mr Sunak and his wife, Akshata, will then travel to the official G7 summit in Hiroshima, which kicks off on Friday.
It will also mark the first ever visit by a UK PM to the city that was destroyed by an American atomic bomb in 1945 - killing tens of thousands of people.
It will be a "sombre reminder of the human cost of all-out war", the Prime Minister's spokesman told reporters ahead of the visit.
No10 also said the summit will be an opportunity for the G7 to shore up support for war-torn Ukraine "and demonstrate our collective resolve to hold Russia to account".
Japan Prime Minister evacuated as onlookers flee with explosion heard at speech
* Follow Mirror Politics on Snapchat, Tiktok, Twitter and Facebook