[Title] Press Conference by the Prime Minister (Telephone Talks with President-elect Biden)

Just now, I held my first telephone talk with President-elect Biden, congratulating him and Vice President-elect Harris on their election as President and the first female Vice President of the United States.

In addition, I conveyed to President-elect Biden that the Japan-U.S. Alliance is indispensable for the peace and prosperity of both the region surrounding Japan, where the security environment is becoming increasingly severe, as well as the international community, and that we must together to further strengthen the Alliance. I also expressed my wish for Japan and the U.S. to work together to realize a ‘Free and Open Indo-Pacific.'

President-elect Biden affirmed his commitment to apply article 5 of the Japan-U.S. Security Treaty to the Senkaku Islands. He also stated that he looks forward to cooperating working together in order to further strengthen the Japan-U.S. Alliance, and achieve the peace and stability of the Indo-Pacific region.

We also shared the view that Japan and the U.S. will also cooperate on common challenges the international community faces, such as measures to tackle the novel coronavirus and climate change.

I also asked for his cooperation on the abductions issue.

I am convinced that the telephone talks I had with President-elect Biden was entreatingly meaningful as we advance our efforts to bolster the Japan-U.S. Alliance.

As for my visit to the U.S., while I expect that going forward we will at the appropriate time in the future, we agreed that we will meet at the earliest possible time.