Suga To Visit Us In April For Summit With Biden
The Japanese government says Prime Minister Suga Yoshihide is due to visit the United States as early as in the first half of April for talks with President Joe Biden.
Chief Cabinet Secretary Kato Katsunobu said on Friday that the trip would make Suga the first foreign leader to hold an in-person summit with Biden since the president took office in January.
Kato said the two sides agree that thorough measures must be in place to prevent coronavirus infections. He indicated that the Japanese delegation would number no more than about 90, and that everyone, including Suga, would be administered two doses of a coronavirus vaccine before the visit.
Suga told a meeting of government and ruling coalition officials on Friday that he plans to seize the opportunity to further strengthen the Japan-US alliance.
The prime minister said he hopes to affirm with Biden that the two countries will coordinate and cooperate on various matters. He mentioned the pandemic, climate change, issues involving China, and North Korea's abductions of Japanese nationals.