Japan PM Ishiba Aims to Establish Trust with Trump

Tokyo, Jan. 21 (Jiji Press)--Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba said Tuesday that he aims to build a relationship of trust with Donald Trump, who has been sworn in as the 47th president of the United States.

"I'd like to have sincere discussions (with the president) mainly on ways to make use of bilateral ties for world peace and the economy," Ishiba told reporters after Trump took the oath of office Monday.

Ishiba said he thinks the date for a summit with Trump will be decided without much time, adding that the decision will be made so as not to affect deliberations in the Diet, Japan's parliament.

Foreign Minister Takeshi Iwaya, who attended Trump's inauguration in Washington, is working to pave the way for realizing the summit, the prime minister said. The Ishiba-Trump talks are expected to be held in early February at the soonest.

Earlier on Tuesday, Ishiba congratulated Trump on his inauguration in a post on X, formerly Twitter.

[Copyright The Jiji Press, Ltd.]