Japan Prime Minister Ishiba’s 1st Summit Meeting with Trump Being Arranged For as Soon as Early to Mid-February

The Yomiuri Shimbun

15:44 JST, January 12, 2025

Final arrangements are being made for Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba to visit the United States as early as the first half of February to hold his first summit with Donald Trump, who will then be U.S. president, it has been learned.

Ishiba and Trump, who will take office on Jan. 20, are expected to confirm the significance of the Japan-U.S. alliance and exchange views on matters such as Nippon Steel Corp.’s planned acquisition of United States Steel Corp. in their meeting, according to Japanese government sources.

“The relationship with the United States is extremely important for our country. I hope it [the meeting] will be realized as soon as possible,” Ishiba told reporters on Saturday in Indonesia, where he was on an official visit.

“I intend to ensure that Mr. Trump and I agree that Japan and the United States working hand in hand will make a great contribution to peace and stability in the Indo-Pacific region,” Ishiba added.

Foreign Minister Takeshi Iwaya will attend the presidential inauguration ceremony scheduled to be held in Washington on Jan. 20 and hold discussions with senior officials of the incoming Trump administration to prepare for a meeting.