Strengthening Cooperation with the Second Trump Administration
Inaugural Address Embodies 'MAGA'
Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba congratulated U.S. President Donald Trump on his inauguration on the 20th (local time) and expressed his intention to strengthen cooperation with the second Trump administration.
On the occasion of President Trump's inauguration, Prime Minister Ishiba posted on his X (formerly Twitter) on the 21st, "I sincerely congratulate President Trump on his inauguration," adding, "I will cooperate with President Trump to strengthen the Japan-U.S. cooperative relationship and jointly pursue the common goal of a 'free and open Indo-Pacific.'"
On the same morning, Ishiba met with reporters at the Prime Minister's Official Residence and said that a summit meeting with President Trump "will be decided without taking much time," according to reports by Kyodo News and public broadcaster NHK.
He also said, "I think President Trump prioritizes bilateral consultations over multilateral frameworks," adding, "I want to seriously discuss how to revitalize Japan-U.S. relations for world peace and the economy and establish a relationship of trust."
Regarding President Trump's inaugural address, Ishiba gave a positive evaluation. He said, "I think it was exactly 'Make America Great Again (MAGA).'" He added, "While the inaugural speeches of past U.S. presidents basically spoke of noble ideals, I got the impression that the speech reflected what was said during the election, such as deploying troops to the southern border and shifting energy policy."
Prime Minister Ishiba is scheduled to visit the United States next month to hold his first summit meeting with President Trump, with both governments coordinating the schedule. Foreign Minister Takeshi Iwaya, who attended President Trump's inauguration, is expected to hold talks with high-ranking officials including U.S. Secretary of State nominee Marco Rubio and prepare for the Japan-U.S. summit meeting.
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