Japan-United States of America Relations
Japan-U.S. Summit Telephone Talk
On Friday, September 9, commencing at around 1:38 p.m. for approximately 10 minutes, Mr. Shinzo Abe, Prime Minister of Japan, held a telephone talk with the Honorable Barack H. Obama, President of the United States of America. The overview of their talk is as follows.
1. Prime Minister Abe stated that North Korea’s provocative actions including its repeated nuclear tests in an unprecedentedly short period of time and its progress in nuclear and missile development pose a direct and serious threat to Japan’s security, seriously undermine the peace and security of the regional and international communities, and are totally unacceptable. Prime Minister Abe explained that North Korea’s nuclear tests repeatedly and clearly violate the relevant United Nations Security Council (UNSC) resolutions and statements of the Six-Party Talks. Furthermore, they are a direct and serious challenge to international disarmament and non-proliferation frameworks centering on the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT) and to the international community. Prime Minister Abe expressed his view that the international community must firmly condemn North Korea’s actions and take concrete measures in order to send a strong message that it will not tolerate further provocative acts of any kind. Prime Minister Abe stated that the UNSC should convene an emergency meeting, that it is also essential for the international community to respond firmly in order to prevent further provocative acts, and that he hopes Japan and the United States, and Japan, the United States and the Republic of Korea (ROK) will continue to collaborate closely, including through the framework of the UNSC.
2. In response, President Obama stated that he fully agrees with Prime Minister Abe’s comments and hopes that the United States and Japan will collaborate closely and also cooperate with the ROK, including through the framework of the UNSC. President Obama explained that he hopes to convey to Prime Minister Abe and the people of Japan that the U.S.-Japan Alliance is solid and the United States’ security commitment to Japan including its extended deterrence is unshakable.
3. The two leaders shared the view that they will issue instructions for concrete discussions to be held between the two countries’ governments in order to implement a powerful response.