Press Releases
Courtesy Call on Foreign Minister Hayashi by the Delegation of Governors of U.S. Midwest States
September 11, 2023
On September 11, commencing at 5:40 p.m., for approximately 25 minutes, Mr. HAYASHI Yoshimasa, Minister for Foreign Affairs of Japan, received a courtesy call from four governors (Governor Holcomb of Indiana, Governor Kelly of Kansas , Governor Walz of Minnesota, and Governor Pillen of Nebraska) and two lieutenant governors (Lieutenant Governor Stratton of Illinois and Lieutenant Governor Flanagan of Minnesota) who are visiting Japan to attend the 53rd Annual Joint Meeting of the Japan-Midwest U.S. Association. The overview of the courtesy call is as follows.
- Minister Hayashi welcomed the holding of the Joint Meeting of the Japan-Midwest U.S. Association in Tokyo for the first time in four years, noting that Japan has been the number one source of investment in the U.S. for four consecutive years. He also stated that Japanese companies serve as one of key pillars that underpin local economic development and employment in each U.S. Midwestern state, and that he hoped to hear thoughts on how to further strengthen ties between Japan and the Midwest.
- In response, each state governor and lieutenant governor expressed their appreciation for the activities of Japanese companies and their desire to continue their efforts to further strengthen the Japan-U.S. economic relationship.