Secretary of State Antony Blinken meets with Senegal’s Foreign Minister Aissata Tall Sall, at the State Department in Washington, Friday, June 17, 2022. (Tasos Katopodis/Pool photo via AP)
Secretary of State Antony Blinken is headed to Japan. On Sunday, state department spokesperson Ned Price said Blinken will fly to Tokyo on Monday following the death of former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe.
Blinken is going to offer his condolences to the Japanese people and to meet with senior officials. The statement added that the US Japan alliance is the cornerstone of peace and stability in the Indo-Pacific and has never been stronger.
I am deeply saddened by the tragic assassination of former Prime Minister Abe Shinzo, who was a great friend of the United States and whose leadership took the U.S.-Japan alliance to new heights. We share our deepest condolences with his family and the people of Japan.
— Secretary Antony Blinken (@SecBlinken) July 8, 2022
“Prime Minister Abe was a transformative leader, a statesman, someone of truly global stature,” Blinken said.
Shortly after Abe was pronounced dead, Blinken met in Bali with Japanese Foreign Minister Hayashi Yoshimasa and South Korean Foreign Minister Park Jin to review strategy mainly related to North Korea. He added that Abe’s death had shaken the G-20 meeting and left many of his foreign minister colleagues expressing shock and distress at the news.
I leave Bali after having valuable conversations at the #G20. The U.S. will continue to work together with our partners and allies to coordinate a multilateral response to global challenges, including food and energy insecurity and Russia’s continued aggression against Ukraine. pic.twitter.com/ERIzBNU27J
— Secretary Antony Blinken (@SecBlinken) July 9, 2022
Enjoyed hearing how our exchange alumni have opened doors in Thailand, improved communities, and created links between our countries. We will keep opening doors for our alumni because it’s not just an investment in their future, but the future of the U.S.-Thailand partnership. pic.twitter.com/PhGBcRQ6nW
— Secretary Antony Blinken (@SecBlinken) July 10, 2022
“The alliance between Japan and the United States has been a cornerstone of our foreign policy for decades,” he voiced. “As I said yesterday, Prime Minister Abe really brought that partnership to new heights.”
Tokyo is the last stop for Blinken after traveling to Bali for the summit and to Bangkok to discuss a range of issues in Thailand.
Source: One America News Network
