Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba won’t be meeting U.S. President-elect Donald Trump before the latter’s Jan. 20 inauguration, local media reported Tuesday, with a trip to Washington instead likely to come shortly after, possibly in February.

Ishiba had been seeking a mid-January meeting, with the Trump camp being receptive to such a timing. However, the prime minister said Saturday that sooner didn’t necessarily mean better when it came to talks with incoming American leader.

“Once Trump officially takes office, it will be meaningful to have a thorough discussion about this and that, so I don't think it's a good idea to rush things,” Ishiba said during a TV program.