I congratulate Kishida Fumio on his election by the Diet as the next Prime Minister of Japan. I had the opportunity to work with Kishida-san when he was Japan’s Foreign Minister and I was the Deputy Secretary of State. I am grateful for the prime minister’s friendship and his commitment to advancing the shared priorities of our two countries.
The United States thanks former Prime Minister Suga for his work to strengthen the enduring U.S.-Japan Alliance and for his efforts in advancing our cooperation. Our partnership demonstrates that when free and democratic nations work together we can address global threats — such as COVID-19 and the climate crisis — while defending and reinforcing the free and open rules-based international order.