TOKYO: Japan's Prime Minister Fumio Kishida said on Saturday he would refocus his efforts on foreign policy and pledged to make 2022 the year of diplomacy, in a New Year statement posted on his website, report agencies.

"The deft handling of diplomatic and security issues and the establishment of a stable administration is crucial, as the international situation surrounding us becomes increasingly difficult and complex," Kishida said.

A former foreign minister who took office in October and prides himself in his diplomatic skills, Kishida had spoken of his hopes to hold a summit with United States President Joe Biden as early as possible.

However, the US administration's efforts to pass a large-scale social bill meant the meeting did not take place in 2021 as Kishida initially hoped.

In the New Year's statement, Kishida also promised to prioritise tackling the COVID-19 pandemic as Japan sees a spread of the Omicron variant, and pursue his efforts to close the wealth gap and create a sustainable economy by creating a "new type of capitalism" for the country.