Japan’s new foreign minister, Iwaya Takeshi, and United States Secretary of State Antony Blinken have agreed to further strengthen the bilateral alliance and promote coordination with their like-minded partners.
The two met on Thursday in Peru on the sidelines of the Ministerial Meeting of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation forum, or APEC.
It was the first in-person meeting between the two.
At the start of the meeting, Iwaya told Blinken that strengthening the Japan-US alliance’s deterrence and response capabilities continues to be the top priority of Japan’s new government under Prime Minister Ishiba Shigeru. Noting that the alliance is crucial in maintaining a free and open Indo-Pacific region, Iwaya said he hopes to discuss with Blinken the future of the partnership.
The two exchanged views over issues related to China, North Korea and Ukraine.
They also discussed economic collaboration. Iwaya told Blinken that he hopes to work together on cooperation with the Global South, which includes emerging economies.
After the meeting, Iwaya told reporters that Blinken spoke favorably about US Senator Marco Rubio, describing him as someone he has known for many years. President-elect Donald Trump has nominated Rubio for secretary of state.
Iwaya said Blinken assured him that the transition to his successor would proceed smoothly. The Japanese minister added that he aims to build strong trust with his new counterpart and elevate the bilateral alliance to an even higher level.
Source: politics.einnews.com…
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