Trump-Suga, First Call "Agreement to Strengthen US-Japan Alliance"

White House, "Discuss Strengthening Cooperation for Freedom in Indo-Pacific Region"
Suga Does Not Mention Indo-Pacific
Also Discuss North Korea Issue and COVID-19 Response

Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga is explaining the contents of the conversation to reporters after his first phone call with U.S. President Donald Trump on the night of the 20th.
[Image source=Reuters Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy New York=Correspondent Baek Jong-min] On the 20th (local time), U.S. President Donald Trump had his first phone call with Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga.

On the same day, the White House announced that President Trump congratulated Prime Minister Suga on his inauguration during the call and discussed the importance of the two countries' shared vision for freedom in the Indo-Pacific region. The two leaders also talked about strengthening the U.S.-Japan alliance and cooperation between the two countries to bolster the global economy, the White House said.

According to Kyodo News, Prime Minister Suga met with reporters at his official residence after the call and said, "We agreed to strengthen the U.S.-Japan alliance" with President Trump.

He added that President Trump said, "Let's work together to further develop the U.S.-Japan alliance," to which he responded, "The U.S.-Japan alliance is the foundation of peace and stability in the region." Prime Minister Suga also explained that President Trump said, "Call me anytime, 24 hours a day, if anything happens."

The announcements from the two countries about the content of the call were subtly different. While the U.S. mentioned the Indo-Pacific region targeting China, Prime Minister Suga did not mention the Indo-Pacific.

Prime Minister Suga also added that he and President Trump agreed to closely cooperate on North Korea issues and the response to the novel coronavirus infection (COVID-19).