Press Conference on His State of Mind for the Inauguration of the New Cabinet and the Japan-U.S. Summit Telephone Talk

(On his state of mind regarding the official start of the new cabinet, on what they discussed during the Japan-U.S. summit telephone talk, and on his references to the Japan-U.S. Status of Forces Agreement, as well as on Iran's ballistic missile launch toward Israel)

Good morning. First of all, as today marks the official start of the new cabinet, I would like to say that since the moment I was designated as Prime Minister yesterday, I have been entrusted with the responsibility for this country. Although I have considered myself to be in full operation since yesterday, I would like to speak about my determination. As I mentioned in yesterday's press conference, I fully understand that nothing can be achieved without the understanding and empathy of the people. I believe that each and every action contributes to building that trust. Therefore, I will sincerely address all issues, communicate earnestly, and strive to gain the understanding and empathy of the people.

I have also mentioned the schedule for the general election. Leading up to the voting day, I am determined to face the people with my full effort, wholeheartedly and head-on, without avoiding any challenges. I will strive to gain the understanding and empathy of the people.

This morning, I had a telephone talk with President Biden. When I was the Secretary-General of the LDP, I had the opportunity to speak with President Biden, who was then Vice President, for about an hour at the White House. Today’s call was our first conversation since then, and I felt the discussion was lively and engaging. During the conversation, I mentioned that, as former Prime Minister Kishida and President Biden had significantly strengthened the Japan-U.S. alliance, I intend to continue on that path and work to further enhance the alliance.

I also mentioned Japan’s strengthening of its defense capabilities, not only in terms of budget but also in enhancing the substance of these efforts and strengthening cooperation between Japan and the U.S. Furthermore, I expressed my desire to strengthen networks with like-minded countries such as among Japan, the U.S., and South Korea; Japan, the U.S., Australia, and India; and Japan, the U.S., and the Philippines. Additionally, I emphasized the importance of continued cooperation on the abduction issue.

The attack by Iran is totally unacceptable, and I would like to strongly condemn it. At the same time, we must ensure that this does not escalate into an all-out war, so I believe it's important to closely coordinate and work towards calming down the situation.

Regarding the abduction issue by North Korea, we confirmed that we will continue to coordinate our responses. As for the revision of the Status of U.S. Forces Agreement, we did not go into specifics in this morning's discussion. I hope that we will have the opportunity to engage in such discussions in the future.

Looking ahead, I discussed with President Biden our desire to hold meetings such as among Japan, the United States, and South Korea, and I conveyed to the President that Japan would like to participate in such summit meetings. And we concurred on this. That concludes my remarks.