US Ambassador to Japan Rahm Emanuel has made a courtesy call on new Japanese Prime Minister Ishiba Shigeru, and expressed hope that the two countries will further strengthen their alliance and cooperation.
Emanuel visited the prime minister’s office in Tokyo on Thursday morning and met Ishiba for about 20 minutes.
The ambassador told the prime minister that the two countries should strengthen their alliance to realize a free and open Indo-Pacific and continue their close cooperation going forward.
He also expressed hope about reinforcing networks of like-minded nations, such as the trilateral partnership of the United States, Japan and South Korea.
Emanuel cited the grouping of Japan, the US and the Philippines as another example.
Emanuel told reporters that he was “very honored” to be one of the first ambassadors to meet with the new prime minister.
He said they “had a very positive and strong conversation that’s keeping forward a momentum” in what has been a historic period for the Japan-US alliance.