Saturday, July 25, 2009Kyodo News
The Foreign Ministry is making arrangements with the U.S. State Department on a plan for Barack Obama to make his first visit to Japan as president of the United States in November, Prime Minister Taro Aso said Friday.
He told reporters efforts have been afoot since around February for Obama to visit Japan around the time of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation forum.
Obama and the prime minister to be chosen after the Aug. 30 general election are expected to reaffirm the strengthening of the bilateral alliance. They will also discuss North Korea's nuclear and missile threats and the realignment of U.S. forces in Japan.
Tokyo announced in April that work is under way to schedule Obama's visit in the latter half of the year, the first since he became U.S. president in January.
Aso dissolved the Lower House on Tuesday for the Aug. 30 election, which opinion polls have indicated his long-ruling Liberal Democratic Party could lose.
Posts
