Courtesy Call on Prime Minister Kishida by U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken

[Provisional translation]

 

On July 11, commencing at 10:25 a.m., for 10 minutes, Mr. KISHIDA Fumio, Prime Minister of Japan, received a courtesy call from the Honorable Antony Blinken, Secretary of State of the United States of America. The overview of the courtesy call is as follows.

1. At the outset, Secretary Blinken offered his heartfelt condolences on the passing of former Prime Minister Abe together with the people of the U.S. Secretary Blinken, referring to his own contacts with former Prime Minister Abe, also stated that he was an unwavering champion of the Japan-U.S. Alliance and made great achievements in strengthening ties with the U.S. and other like-minded countries, promoting the foresighted vision of a "Free and Open Indo-Pacific".
2. In response, Prime Minister Kishida expressed his gratitude for the warm feelings from the U.S., including the urgent visit to Japan by Secretary Blinken and the sympathy extended by President Biden during the Japan-U.S. Summit Telephone Meeting on July 9. Prime Minister Kishida also reiterated that the despicable act that took place in the midst of an election, the very foundation of democracy, is absolutely unacceptable. Prime Minister Kishida emphasized that as the incumbent Prime Minister, he would not give in to violence and would defend democracy, and strive to further strengthen the Japan-U.S. Alliance, carrying on the legacy of former Prime Minister Abe who lifted the Japan-U.S. Alliance to new heights.