On Jan 5, Defense Minister Kihara had a meeting with Senator William Hagerty (former U.S. Ambassador to Japan).
At the outset, Minister Kihara expressed his determination to continue all-out efforts towards rescue activities and livelihood support on the 2024 Noto Peninsula Earthquake. Senator Hagerty expressed his condolences to those who lost their lives and offered his sympathy to all the victims of the disaster.
In addition, they discussed regional security environment and Japan-U.S. defense cooperation, and confirmed that they will continue to strive this year to further strengthen the Alliance capabilities to deter and respond.
