Tokyo: Yoshihide Suga held the first formal conversation with US President Donald Trump after taking over as Prime Minister of Japan. His first diplomatic phone call to Trump as the nation’s leader exposes the close relationship between the two allies. Shinzo Abe resigned as Prime Minister due to health reasons. Suga has since replaced him.
“I told him that the Japan-US alliance is the foundation for regional peace and stability and we agreed to continue close coordination,” Suga told reporters late Sunday night after speaking with Trump over the phone.
Suga said Trump also said he also wanted to strengthen the alliance. He said the two leaders agreed to cooperate in the fight against the Corona virus and the North Korean missile and nuclear threats.
Japan’s foreign ministry said in a statement that the two leaders spent about 25 minutes on the phone. The two leaders also pledged to cooperate in the development and treatment of the corona virus vaccine as well as regional security concerns. Known for his political acumen on domestic issues, Suga has rarely traveled abroad and his diplomatic skills are not yet known. However, he is expected to pursue Abe’s priorities.
