[Title] Press Conference by Prime Minister ISHIBA Shigeru Regarding the Meeting of the Heads of the Ruling and Opposition Parties

(On what was discussed over U.S. tariff measures in the meeting of the heads of the ruling and opposition parties held a short while ago; the status of the coordination for setting a summit meeting with U.S. President Trump, in light of the upcoming G7 Summit next week; and the agreement that Prime Minister Ishiba seeks to achieve in the bilateral meeting)

A short while ago, we held a meeting of the heads of the ruling and opposition parties. With the implementation of U.S. tariff measures having created what could be described as a "national crisis," it is essential for the Government and ruling parties, as well as the opposition parties, to discuss and respond to this issue on a bipartisan basis. Given the G7 Summit scheduled for next week and a possible summit meeting with President Trump, the purpose of this meeting was to hear once again the opinions of each party in advance. I provided explanations, within the limits of what could currently be shared, regarding the status of negotiations and Japan's negotiation policy, and then listened to the opinions from each party. As for the specific remarks made by the party heads, it would be better to ask each of them for what was accurately mentioned.

I had a telephone conversation with the President on May 29, and we confirmed that both of us are looking forward to meeting in person. As of now, no specific date and time for the Japan-U.S. Summit Meeting has been set. While I hope to see some progress before meeting the President at the G7 Summit, what is important is to achieve an agreement that serve the interests of both Japan and the U.S. We must not allow an excessive focus on reaching an early agreement to undermine Japan's national interests. No meeting has been set prior to the visit to Canada at this point. That's all from me.