Remarks: Joe Biden Holds a Bilateral Meeting with Suga Yoshihide of Japan - April 16, 2021


Joe Biden Holds a Bilateral Meeting with Suga Yoshihide of Japan [2021-04-16]
Suga Yoshihide
Joe Biden
Pacific
United States
Indo
Indianapolis
Senate

Joe Biden
00:00:00 - 00:00:15 ()
Well, I'm honored to have Prime Minister Suga here. Yoshi and I have had some private time together, both lunch and tea, and it's great to have him with us.
Very Positive
Joe Biden
00:00:15 - 00:00:25 ()
As you know, this was the first foreign leader to visit me in my presidency. And I'm really pleased to welcome such a close ally and good partner.
Very Positive
Joe Biden
00:00:25 - 00:00:48 ()
The United States and Japan have a big agenda ahead of us. And we are two important democracies in the Indo-Pacific region, and our cooperation is vital, in my view -- and I think in both our views -- to meeting the challenges facing our nation and ensuring the future of the region to remain free and open and prosperous.
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Joe Biden
00:00:48 - 00:01:01 ()
So I'm looking forward to speaking with the Prime Minister. And our teams are -- are tackling a shared agenda. We -- we are ready to -- ready to get to work.
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Joe Biden
00:01:01 - 00:01:23 ()
So welcome, Mr. Prime Minister. As we say in the body I used to work in, the United States Senate, "I yield the floor" to the Prime Minister. It's all yours, Yoshi.
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Suga Yoshihide
00:01:23 - 00:01:36 ()
[Via Translator] Thank you very much. Thank for you for accepting me as the first foreign leader under your presidency. My deepest gratitude to you.
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Suga Yoshihide
00:01:36 - 00:01:58 ()
[Via Translator] And yesterday, there was a shooting in Indianapolis, so I heard, and -- causing much casualty. I would like to express my condolences to the victims and my sympathies to the families. Innocent citizens must not be exposed to any such violence.
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Suga Yoshihide
00:01:58 - 00:02:23 ()
[Via Translator] Freedom, democracy, human rights, and the rule of law are the universal values that link our alliance that is prevalent in the Indo-Pacific, and this is the very foundation of prosperity and stability of the region and the globe. And the importance of such values has heightened to unprecedented level.
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Suga Yoshihide
00:02:23 - 00:02:48 ()
[Via Translator] And upon my visit to the United States, I wish to reaffirm the new and tight bond between us. And in order to realize a free and open Indo-Pacific, there are many common challenges as well as emerging global issues, including COVID-19 and climate change. I wish to spend time with you to again confirm the close ties between our two countries.
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Suga Yoshihide
00:02:48 - 00:02:51 ()
[Via Translator] And thank you again for accepting us.
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Joe Biden
00:02:51 - 00:02:55 ()
Thank you being here. Thank you for your sentiments.
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