On April 13, local time, the Japanese government announced that Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga will visit the United States from April 15th to 18th.
According to Kyodo News Agency, Chief Cabinet Secretary Kato Katsunobu released the above news at a press conference on April 13. Katsunobu Kato stated that Yoshihide Suga will hold a summit meeting with US President Biden on April 16th, local time in Washington, DC. Yoshihide Suga will also become the first foreign leader to have face-to-face talks with Biden.
Kato expressed his expectation for Yoshihide Suga’s visit to the United States, saying that this visit will “further strengthen the Japan-US alliance as the foundation of Japan’s diplomacy and security, and show the world a solid Japan-US relationship.”
The two sides are expected to exchange views during the talks on the so-called “free and open Indo-Pacific” concept, climate change issues, and response to the Coronavirus pandemic.
Suga Yoshihide said in a TV interview on April 1, “(Biden) invited me to be the first foreign leader to have a face-to-face meeting, which shows that the United States attaches great importance to Japan. The United States is Japan’s only ally, and meeting the president is to build personal trust. Good opportunities for relationships”.
