Japan-United States of America Relations
Prime Minister Kishida received a courtesy call by Admiral John C. Aquilino, Commander, U.S. Indo-Pacific Command
April 22, 2024
(Photo: Cabinet Public Affairs Office)
(Photo: Cabinet Public Affairs Office)
On April 22, 2024, commencing at 3:50 pm, for approximately 15 minutes, Prime Minister KISHIDA Fumio, received a courtesy call from Admiral John C. Aquilino, Commander, U.S. Indo-Pacific Command, during his visit to Japan. The overview of the courtesy call is as follows.
- At the outset, Prime Minister Kishida welcomed the visit of Admiral Aquilino to Japan, and expressed his gratitude for the contribution of U.S. Indo-Pacific Command and the U.S. Forces Japan, which play a significant role in maintaining peace and stability in this region, as the security environment surrounding Japan is becoming increasingly severe, as shown in North Korea’s launch of ballistic missile conducted today. He also stated that, during his official visit to the U.S., he strongly emphasized Japan’s determination that Japan and the U.S. are global partners and that Japan, together with the U.S., stands ready to fulfill its responsibility for peace and stability in the region and the international community. He also expressed respect for Admiral Aquilino’s achievements of laying the foundation to make this possible and congratulated him on his decoration.
- In response, Admiral Aquilino expressed his condolences regarding the incident of JMSDF’s helicopters on April 20th, and stated that the importance of the Japan-U.S. Alliance has never been higher amidst an increasingly severe security environment, and he also stated that he would like to demonstrate the unwavering U.S. commitment to the Indo-Pacific region to achieve a “Free and Open Indo-Pacific." The two sides reaffirmed the importance of steadily implementing the realignment of U.S. forces in Japan, while advancing the efforts for strengthening Alliance deterrence and response capabilities.