Japan PM Ishiba holds call with Trump, seeks November meeting in US

7/11/2024 13:04

        Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba is trying to arrange a stopover in the United States later this month to meet with U.S. President-elect Donald Trump, four sources with knowledge of the matter said.
        
        Late Japanese premier Shinzo Abe was the first foreign leader to meet with Trump after his victory in the 2016 election and the pair went on to forge a close personal relationship that helped defuse several contentious issues between the allies.
        
        Three of the sources, who declined to be identified due to the sensitivity of the matter, said Japan was aiming to arrange the meeting between Ishiba and Trump immediately after the G20 summit in Brazil on November 18-19. The fourth source said Japan was aiming to arrange the stopover "around" the G20 meeting.
        
        Ishiba told reporters that he had held a five-minute phone call with Trump on Thursday morning and was trying to meet him as soon as possible.
        
        "I felt that he was very friendly. So from now on, I have the impression that we can talk frankly, without embellishment," Ishiba said.