Former Japanese Ambassador to the U.S. Kenichiro Sasae of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) was appointed as President and Director General of the Japan Institute of International Affairs (JIIA), a public interest incorporated foundation, effective June 27. He will serve a two-year term.

Sasae served as Japanese Ambassador to the U.S. from September 2012 to April 2018 after working as Senior Deputy Minister for Foreign Affairs and Vice-Minister for Foreign Affairs. He engaged in diplomacy between Japan and the U.S. under the U.S. administrations of President Barack Obama and President Donald Trump.