Prime Minister Naoto Kan, right, and President Obama at the Joint Press Conference (November 13, Yokohama, Japan, photo: Cabinet Public Relations Office, Cabinet Secretariat)
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Japan and the United States are allies sharing basic values and strategic interests, and the Japan-U.S. alliance is the linchpin of Japanese diplomacy and it serves as a shared asset contributing to the stability and prosperity not only of the Asia-Pacific region but also of the world. The Japan-U.S. alliance, with the Japan-U.S. Security Arrangements at the core, has brought peace and prosperity to Japan and the Far East for more than 60 years since the end of the World War II.
apan and the U.S. are contributing to global stability and prosperity through cooperation in dealing with not only bilateral issues and regional issues in the Asia-Pacific but also global issues confronting the international community such as the assistance to Afghanistan and Pakistan, the Iranian nuclear issue, climate change, nuclear disarmament and non-proliferation.
Deepening the Japan-U.S. alliance is an urgent task as elements of instability remain in the Asia-Pacific region even after the end of the Cold War. Since the inauguration of the Kan Administration in June 2010, both leaders of Japan and the U.S. have repeatedly agreed on further deepening and developing the Japan-U.S. alliance to adapt to the evolving challenge of the 21st century with the three pillars of security, economy, and cultural and people-to-people exchanges. The two governments deepen the discussion to present shared vision of the Japan-U.S. alliance for the 21st century in such a form as a joint statement on the occasion of Prime Minister Kan’s visit to the U.S. in the first half of 2011.
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Prime Minister Naoto Kan, right, and President Obama at the Joint Press Conference (November 13, Yokohama, Japan, photo: Cabinet Public Relations Office, Cabinet Secretariat) |
Japan and Canada cooperate closely in wide-ranging areas such as politics, economy, security, and culture as partners in the Asia-Pacific region and also as G8 members, sharing fundamental values. In 2010, Japan served as the chair for Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC), while Canada chaired the G8 and G20, and ministers and leaders of both countries visited each other frequently. At the Japan-Canada summit meeting held during APEC Meeting in Yokohama in November 2010, the two countries signed the Japan-Canada Joint Declaration on Political, Peace and Security Cooperation, recognizing that the security and prosperity of both countries are linked to the secure future of the Asia-Pacific region and beyond. The Declaration confirmed that the two countries would expand and develop cooperative relations in an even wider range of fields, including peace and security.
