Japan and the United States are allies sharing fundamental values and strategic interests. 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. The Alliance is the linchpin of Japan’s diplomacy and security, and plays an important role in maintaining the stability and prosperity not only of the Asia-Pacific region but also of the whole world.
　Japan and the United States have worked closely together on various levels including summit and ministerial ones. Both countries have promoted cooperation not only on bilateral issues but also on such issues as the response to Asia-Pacific regional situations including North Korea, assistance to Afghanistan and the Iranian nuclear issue.
　The Japan-U.S. Alliance is becoming even more important as the Asia-Pacific region faces diverse challenges amid the dramatically changing international situation and its security environment has become more and more severe. In April 2012, the two countries announced the “U.S.-Japan Joint Statement: A Shared Vision for the Future,” in which both leaders confirmed the significance of the alliance in the present situation and a vision for future Japan-U.S. relations in the long term. Furthermore, in February 2013, Prime Minister Abe visited the United States and held a summit meeting with President Obama. The meeting highlighted the strong ties of the Japan-U.S. Alliance both to the Japanese nationals and to the world and made it clear that Japan and the United States would cooperate hand in hand for the peace and stability throughout the world.
　As reaffirmed repeatedly at the summit and foreign minister’s meetings in the past, Japan and the United States have deepened discussions on their policies to further strengthen the alliance, particularly in the areas of security, economy, and cultural and people-to-people exchanges. Japan welcomes the United States’ rebalancing toward the Asia-Pacific, since such policy will contribute to the stability and prosperity of the region. Japan will cooperate closely with the United States so that both countries will play a leading role in forming order of the region, using frameworks such as the EAS and APEC. Moreover, Japan and the United States will continue to work together closely at various levels, on such issues as Afghanistan and the Iranian nuclear issue, sharing their roles and responsibilities.
　Japan and Canada are partners within the Asia-Pacific region who share fundamental values. At the same time, both countries are members of the G8 and closely cooperating together on a wide range of fields including politics, economy, security and culture.
　In March 2012, the Japan-Canada Summit Meeting was held in Tokyo, where the Joint Announcement of Outcomes was released. The leaders pledged to continue bilateral efforts in the fields of economic partnership, security cooperation, and people-to-people exchanges. Furthermore, the first round of negotiations for the Japan-Canada EPA was held in November the same year.