Photo/Illutration Prime Minister Fumio Kishida and U.S. President Joe Biden shake hands before their meeting in Hiroshima on May 18. (Pool)

HIROSHIMA--The leaders of Japan and the United States agreed to work closely together to demonstrate to the world the Group of Seven’s unwavering solidarity in addressing global issues through discussions at the summit.

Prime Minister Fumio Kishida met with President Joe Biden at a hotel in Hiroshima on May 18 ahead of the G-7 summit.

“At the summit, I want to show the G-7 nations’ unwavering commitment to safeguarding a free and open international order based on the rule of law, which Japan and the United States have been upholding,” Kishida said at the beginning of their meeting.

Biden said, “When our countries stand together, we stand stronger, and I believe the whole world is safer when we do.”

Kishida explained how he would proceed with the G-7 discussions as the summit chair, according to the Japanese government.

He stressed the importance of advancing efforts for nuclear disarmament and nonproliferation, referring to Russia’s suggestion of using nuclear weapons and North Korea’s continued nuclear and missile development, according to the government.

Biden also made remarks on nuclear disarmament and nonproliferation, the government said. But it did not disclose the details. 

Regarding Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, the two leaders agreed on continuing with its severe sanctions against Russia and strong support for Ukraine.

Biden reiterated security cooperation on the United States' commitment to the defense of Japan, backed by the full range of U.S. capabilities that include nuclear options.

The leaders reaffirmed the importance of further strengthening discussions on the United States' extended deterrence measures.

They also shared the importance of working together toward strengthening energy security and materializing economic security cooperation.

They agreed regarding the situation in East Asia that any unilateral attempt to change the status quo by force must not be tolerated, with China’s military expansion and economic coercion in mind.

The two leaders confirmed that Japan and the United States will continue working closely together in addressing issues related to China.

The leaders also reiterated the importance of peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait and encouraged the peaceful resolution of cross-strait issues.

For Japan and South Korean relations, Kishida mentioned his May 7 meeting with South Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol. He expressed his intention to further advance relations, which Biden appreciated.

Kishida and Biden also confirmed the importance of engagement with, and support for, the so-called “Global South,” which are emerging and developing countries mainly in Asia, Africa and Latin America.

“We have agreed to closely cooperate in sending a strong message (at the summit) of moving toward a ‘world without nuclear weapons,’” Kishida said after the meeting.

Biden visited the Hiroshima Peace Memorial Museum on May 19, the opening day of the summit, marking the second visit by a sitting U.S. president.

He laid flowers with other G-7 leaders for the victims of the atomic bomb, which detonated over Hiroshima on Aug. 6, 1945.

In 2016, then-President Barack Obama visited the museum and delivered a speech indicating the United States' determination toward achieving a “world without nuclear weapons.”

National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan said at a news conference on May 17 that the president would not be making a statement of apology for the bombing of Hiroshima. He said Biden's visit to the peace museum was not a “bilateral moment.”

(This article was written by Taro Kotegawa, Anri Takahashi, Ryo Kiyomiya and Kazuki Uechi.)

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