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PRIME MINISTER'S DIARY

Prime Minister's Visit to the United States

Japanese


Prime Minister Abe and U.S. President Obama shake hands at the Japan-U.S. Summit Meeting, February 22 (local time).
Credit: COURTESY OF CABINET SECRETARIAT, CABINET PUBRIC RELATIONS OFFICE
From February 21 to 24, Prime Minister Shinzo Abe visited Washington D.C., the United States, and held talks with U.S. President Barack Obama at the White House on February 22. Later, the Prime Minister held a press conference at a hotel in the city. At the press conference, he talked about the major outcomes of the summit meeting as follows:

"First of all, with regard to security, given the increasingly severe security environment surrounding Japan, Japan is determined to fulfill its responsibilities together with the United States, and President Obama fully shares this recognition. In concrete terms, I explained to President Obama Japan's own efforts towards reinforcing the alliance, including such matters as the right to collective self-defense, increased defense spending, and the review of our National Defense Program Guidelines. In addition, President Obama and I concurred on advancing Japan-U.S. defense cooperation across a broad range of fields.


Prime Minister Abe lays flowers at the Arlington National Cemetery, Washington, D.C., February 22.
Credit: COURTESY OF CABINET SECRETARIAT, CABINET PUBRIC RELATIONS OFFICE
"Second, regarding regional issues, President Obama and I concurred that, taking the Japan-U.S. alliance as our foundation, our two countries will cooperate so that the Asia-Pacific region becomes a region governed not by coercion or intimidation but rather by the rule of law. With regard to the nuclear test conducted by North Korea, we confirmed that we will continue to work in close cooperation in order for us to take such resolute measures as the swift adoption of a new UN Security Council resolution that includes additional sanctions. I also conveyed my strong will towards the resolution of the abduction issue and once again received President Obama's understanding and support.

"Our third topic was economic matters. I explained that the Abe Cabinet's priority is achieving Japan's economic revival and overviewed my 'three prongs' of economic revival. President Obama welcomed these points and said that he looked forward to my strong leadership. We shared our recognition that the revival of the Japanese economy is significant for both Japan and the U.S. and also for the world.

"We discussed the TPP agreement thoroughly, including its significance and the domestic situation in each of our countries."

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