In a phone chat with his Japanese counterpart on Monday, US National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan expressed his appreciation for Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida’s recent “successful” visit to India, where he reiterated the goal of promoting a free and open Indo-Pacific.
On his recent visit to India, Japanese Prime Minister Kishida announced his country’s much expected plan for a “Free and Open Indo-Pacific” and harshly criticised Russia for its aggression against Ukraine, claiming it was a fundamental obstacle to maintaining peace.
The US and Japan’s bilateral cooperation were the topics of Sullivan’s conversation with Akiba Takeo, Secretary General of the Japan National Security Secretariat, on Monday, according to the White House.
During the phone call, the US national security adviser commended the recent development in ties between Japan and the Republic of Korea and firmly backed Prime Minister Kishida’s recent trip to Kiev.
According to the White House, the two national security advisers emphasised how crucial it is to keep helping Ukraine defend itself against Russia’s “brutal and illegitimate aggression.”
The White House released a summary of the conversation and noted that Sullivan “expressed thanks for Prime Minister Kishida’s successful visit to India, where he underlined Japan’s commitment to support a free and open Indo-Pacific with important like-minded allies.”
They also spoke about the need of boosting multilateral cooperation in the area and reaffirmed their commitment to maintaining a credible alliance deterrent capacity.
In order to achieve their shared goal for a free and open Indo-Pacific, the two officials promised to keep strengthening their bilateral relationship, the statement stated.