Strengthening US-Japan Ties: Prime Minister Kishida's Congress Speech
Last week, Claudine, our Executive Director at JASC, had the honor of attending Prime Minister Fumio Kishida’s speech to the joint session of Congress in Washington, DC. Invited by Colorado Congressman Jason Crow, District 6, Claudine witnessed a momentous occasion that showed the strong relationship between Japan and the U.S.
Prime Minister Kishida captivated the audience with his eloquence, passion, and the breadth of topics he covered. His speech not only highlighted the deep-rooted friendship between the two nations but also emphasized the pivotal roles they play in shaping global affairs.
Claudine encourages everyone to read the U.S.-Japan Joint Leaders’ Statement, which was released at the end of the visit here. You will see about 3/4 of the way down, this paragraph (underline added):
Fortifying People-to-People Ties
People-to-people exchanges are the most effective way to develop the future stewards of the U.S.-Japan relationship. In this regard, we recognize the achievements of exchange programs between our two countries, including the Japan Exchange and Teaching (JET) Programme, KAKEHASHI Project, the Japan Foundation’s programs, and the U.S.-Japan Council’s TOMODACHI Initiative, and commit ourselves to providing more opportunities to meet today’s needs, including through enhanced subnational exchanges on critical issues such as climate and energy. We also recognize the important role civil society has played in strengthening the U.S.-Japan relationship over the past 170 years, including the 38 Japan-America Societies across the United States, the Asia Society, and the 29 America-Japan Societies across Japan.
Claudine extends her heartfelt gratitude to our JASC members’ contribution to strengthening the Colorado-Japan relationship. Each person does their part, and it makes a big difference. The strong friendship and alliance between the U.S. and Japan, and the leadership roles that both of our countries play in the world, are extremely important right now. Seeing the wheels of skilled diplomacy working in our nation’s capitol was inspiring.
