Japan Press Weekly

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2008 July 2 - 8 TOP3 [US FORCES]

Bush and Fukuda announce they will strengthen Japan-U.S. alliance

Japanese Prime Minister Fukuda Yasuo and U.S. President George W. Bush on July 6 agreed to further strengthen the military alliance between the two countries at a meeting held in advance of the opening of the G8 Toyako Summit.

At “joint press availability” after their meeting, Fukuda said that the Japan-U.S. alliance has deepened dramatically in security and other areas during the seven and a half years under the Bush administration.

He promised to promote cooperation between the two countries in “the fight against terrorism,” the Iraq war, the realignment of U.S. forces in Japan, and missile defense.

“Peace and stability in the Asia-Pacific region has been made possible thanks to the Japan-U.S. alliance in the last several decades,” he said.

Referring to the U.S. war in Iraq and Afghanistan, Bush said, “I thank your government and I thank the people of Japan for helping others realize the blessings of liberty,” calling for Japan to continue to deploy the Self-Defense Forces in the Indian Ocean and Iraq.

Stressing the importance of the verification of North Korea’s declaration of its nuclear program, he said that North Korea took the first step by destroying the cooling tower of its reactor at Yongbyon.

Bush stated that the United States strongly supports Japan in the abduction issue.