The Hague, Netherlands, Nov. 6 (Jiji Press)--A cross-party group of Japanese lawmakers on Friday met with Tomoko Akane, president of the International Criminal Court, at the court's headquarters in The Hague, the Netherlands.

Five members of the Nonpartisan Parliamentary Association for Reconsidering Human Rights Diplomacy, including former Defense Minister Gen Nakatani, co-head of the group and a member of the ruling Liberal Democratic Party, expressed support for the ICC, which has been subject to U.S. sanctions, and offered words of encouragement to Akane and others.

At the beginning of the meeting, Akane said that the ICC "needs the support of states parties" to continue its activities.

According to Yasue Funayama, co-head of the cross-party group and a member of the opposition Democratic Party for the People, the ICC side requested that Japan pay its 2027 contribution ahead of schedule. Japan is the court's largest financial contributor, providing about 4.6 billion yen this year.

After returning to Japan, Nakatani plans to convey the details of the meeting to Chief Cabinet Secretary Minoru Kihara and ask the government to take steps toward making the advance payment possible.

Tomoko Akane (center), president of the International Criminal Court, meets with former Japanese Defense Minister Gen Nakatani (left) and other members of a cross-party parliamentary group at ICC headquarters in The Hague, the Netherlands, on Friday.

[Copyright The Jiji Press, Ltd.]