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US President Donald Trump met Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi at Akasaka Palace in Tokyo on Monday, marking the start of his official engagements in Japan, the second stop on his three-country Asia tour.
During their meeting at the Akasaka Palace, the two leaders discussed ways to further strengthen bilateral ties between the United States and Japan. Takaichi, pledged to build a "new golden era" of the Japan-US alliance together with Trump, adding the bilateral relationship has now become "the greatest alliance in the world" Japanese state media reported. Takaichi also praised Trump's role in promoting peace in West Asia and resolving a conflict between Thailand and Cambodia as "unprecedented historic achievements," it said. Kyodo cited a source as saying that the Japanese PM intends to tell Trump of her plan to recommend him for the Nobel Peace Prize. President Trump participated in a signing ceremony with the Prime Minister of Japan. Trump told Takaichi that they will have "a fantastic relationship," saying, "I have always had a great love of Japan and a great respect of Japan, and I will say that this will be a relationship that will be stronger than ever before" Kyodo reported. "I want to just let you know -- any time you have any question, any doubt, anything you want, any favors you need, anything I can do to help Japan, we will be there," Trump added. Following their exchange, Trump joined Takaichi for the Welcome Ceremony at Akasaka Palace, where they reviewed the guard of honour and greeted attending officials. The ceremony underscored the growing partnership between Washington and Tokyo amid evolving regional and global developments. The Japanese delegation extended a warm welcome to Trump, reaffirming Japan's commitment to close cooperation with the United States on trade, security, and economic matters. Takaichi also interacted with members of the US delegation accompanying Trump, including Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick, the United States Trade Representative, and White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt. Trump's engagements in Tokyo followed his audience a day earlier with Japan's Emperor Naruhito at the Imperial Palace, where he described the monarch as "a great man." The back-to-back meetings with both the Emperor and Prime Minister Takaichi highlighted the ceremonial and strategic dimensions of Trump's visit, reflecting the enduring alliance between Washington and Tokyo. Dressed in a navy suit and gold tie, Trump was warmly received by Emperor Naruhito, who smiled and waved as the US leader arrived. The two shook hands and posed for photographers before entering the palace, where the meeting was held in a simple room with wooden furniture. The White House later shared a photo of the meeting on X. Their meeting lasted for more than half an hour. Recalling his previous visit, Trump told reporters that Emperor Naruhito was "a great man," referencing their earlier interaction during his 2019 state visit when he was hosted at a banquet, as reported by CNN. Japan is Trump's second stop on his five-day Asia tour. Earlier, he was in Malaysia, where he attended the 47th ASEAN Summit and participated in the signing of the Cambodia-Thailand peace deal. (ANI)
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