Takaichi spoke by telephone with Trump on Saturday, after she arrived in Malaysia for a key regional summit.
At the beginning of the 10-minute call, Trump congratulated Takaichi for becoming the new prime minister.
Takaichi told Trump that strengthening the Japan-US alliance is her administration’s top priority, when it comes to foreign and security policy.
She expressed respect for the leadership that Trump showed in the effort to bring about the ceasefire between Israel and Hamas in the Gaza Strip.
The prime minister told Trump that “Japan is an indispensable partner for the United States, both in its strategy toward China and in its Indo-Pacific strategy.” Takaichi also conveyed to Trump her desire to “continue to advance the vision of a Free and Open Indo-Pacific together.”
In addition, Takaichi expressed appreciation for Trump’s support for the efforts to resolve the issue of North Korea’s abductions of Japanese nationals. She asked the president to continue to cooperate on the issue.
After the phone call, Takaichi told reporters that Trump is a very cheerful and engaging person. She said Trump told her that he knew she was one of the politicians that late Prime Minister Abe Shinzo cared deeply about.
As for their planned summit meeting in Japan on Tuesday, Takaichi told Trump that she is looking forward to welcoming him to Tokyo.
Trump was on his way to Malaysia to join leaders at a meeting of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations. He reportedly made the call from Air Force One.
Takaichi mentioned the phone call in a social media post on X. She wrote that she and Trump had a good and candid conversation. She also expressed her determination to take the Japan-US alliance to even greater heights.
During her visit to Malaysia, Takaichi will meet with leaders of the ASEAN member nations.
She wrote that she is looking forward to working closely with the United States and regional partners to realize a free and open Indo-Pacific.
