Japan-United States of America Relations
Japan-U.S. Summit Meeting
April 1, 2016
Photo: Cabinet Public Relations Office
Photo: Cabinet Public Relations Office
On March 31st, commencing at 12:07 p.m. (April 1st 1:07 a.m. Tokyo time) for approximately 30 minutes, Mr. Shinzo Abe, Prime Minister of Japan, who is visiting Washington D.C., and Mr. Barack Obama, President of the United States, held a Japan-U.S. Summit Meeting. The overview of the meeting is as follows.
1 G7 Ise-Shima Summit
President Obama expressed appreciation for Prime Minister Abe's preparations as the G7 chair, and he stated that the United States supports the agenda items set by Japan, and expressed his hope that Japan exercises leadership at the G7 meeting. In response, Prime Minister Abe, as the chair for the G7 Ise-Shima Summit, stated that the global economy and terrorism are the primary themes and that Japan particularly hopes to send a clear message of contributing to sustainable growth of the global economy. The two leaders agreed on the importance of exploring possibilities for economic growth towards the G7 Ise-Shima Summit.
2 Japan-U.S. Security Alliance
Concerning the lawsuits on the Henoko landfill permit, Prime Minister Abe explained that Japan's position remains unwavering that the relocation of Marine Corps Air Station (MCAS) Futenma to Henoko is the only solution and he decided to accept a court-suggested settlement under the philosophy of ''haste is waste.'' Prime Minister Abe also stated that he would like to realize the return of MCAS Futenma through the completion of the relocation to Henoko at the earliest possible time and would like to continue joint efforts to mitigate the impact on Okinawa. In response, President Obama stated that he understands the court-suggested settlement on the relocation of MCAS Futenma to Henoko as Prime Minister Abe's strategic decision, and said that the United States would like to continue its efforts through close cooperation.
3 Trans-Pacific Partnership
President Obama stated that the United States is pursuing approval of the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) as the top priority item in Congress, and the two leaders agreed that they intend to continue working together for the early entry into force of the TPP Agreement.
4 Japan-Republic of Korea Relations
Prime Minister Abe expressed gratitude for publicly stating the Government of the United States' consistent support for the agreement reached between Japan and the Republic of Korea (ROK) at the end of last year. In response, President Obama reaffirmed the support for the Japan-ROK agreement.