Japanese Prime Minister wants to meet Mr. Trump soon

(CLO) Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba hopes to meet with US President-elect Donald Trump in the US as early as this month, aiming to build on the close relationship established by former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe during Trump's first term.

Speaking to reporters, Mr. Ishiba said he had a five-minute phone call with Mr. Trump on the morning of November 7th, Japan time, and they agreed to meet as soon as possible.

"I found him very friendly. So, from now on, I have the impression that we can have a frank conversation," he said.

Three sources said Japan is aiming to arrange a meeting between Mr. Ishiba and Mr. Trump immediately after the G20 Summit in Brazil on November 18-19. A fourth source said Japan is aiming to arrange a stopover "around" the G20 meeting.

Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba. Photo: Reuters

The United States is Japan's most important economic and security partner, while Tokyo is a key ally of Washington in Asia.

Mr. Ishiba wants to follow in the footsteps of former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, the first foreign leader to meet with Mr. Trump after his 2016 election. Mr. Abe, who was assassinated in 2022, held a hastily arranged meeting at Trump Tower in New York just over a week after that election.

Abe cultivated a close personal relationship with Trump, which helped resolve a number of contentious issues between the two allies, including defense spending and trade.

When asked about the cost of stationing U.S. troops in Japan on November 7, Mr. Ishiba said that he and Mr. Trump did not discuss this issue during their phone call. "Instead of focusing on the money, we wanted to have a strong discussion about strengthening the Japan-U.S. alliance from various perspectives," he said.

Ngoc Anh (according to Reuters)

Source: https://www.congluan.vn/thu-tuong-nhat-ban-shigeru-ishiba-muon-som-gap-ong-donald-trump-post320415.html