Japan’s Abe, U.S. Indo-Pacific Command Chief Affirm Cooperation

June 22, 2018

Tokyo- Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and U.S. Navy Adm. Philip Davidson agreed Thursday on close bilateral cooperation in resolving the issues of North Korea's nuclear and missile development and its abductions of Japanese nationals decades ago.

At a separate meeting earlier in the day, Davidson, who last month became the first commander of the U.S. Indo-Pacific Command, renamed from the Pacific Command, and Japanese Defense Minister Itsunori Onodera affirmed that the Japanese Self-Defense Forces and the U.S. military will conduct joint exercises as planned even while the United States is engaged in dialogue with North Korea.

"The Japan-U.S. alliance has become very strong thanks to Japan's national security laws," which entered into force in 2016, Abe said at his meeting with Davidson, held at the prime minister's office.

"Japan wants to promote the strategy for a free and open Indo-Pacific region with the United States," Abe added.

Davidson pledged to advance the alliance further, make utmost efforts to defend Japan and communicate closely with the Asian ally.

Abe welcomed a joint statement adopted at a historic summit between U.S. President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un in Singapore on June 12. The statement marked the first step for comprehensively resolving various issues related to North Korea, he said.

Meanwhile, Onodera and Davidson confirmed in their meeting at the Defense Ministry that Japan and the United States will maintain their economic sanctions on North Korea until the country realizes its complete, verifiable and irreversible denuclearization.

Onodera underlined the need for carefully monitoring North Korea's moves toward denuclearization.

In reply, Davidson said that the United States will withdraw the cancellation of its joint military exercises with South Korea in August if North Korea fails to take concrete action for denuclearization.

Davidson also said the issue of North Korea's abductions of Japanese nationals is important. Jiji Press