Blinken will travel to Tokyo to offer his condolences on the death of Shinzo Abe

July 10 (EUROPA PRESS) –

The Secretary of State of the United States, Antony Blinken, extends his trip in Asia to go to the Japanese capital, Tokyo, and offer his condolences on the death of former Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe.

“Blinken will travel to Tokyo, Japan, to offer condolences to the Japanese people on the death of former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and meet with senior Japanese officials,” State Department spokesman Ned Price said in a press release.

Price added that “the US-Japan alliance is the cornerstone of peace and stability in the Indo-Pacific and it is stronger than ever.” Abe built close relations with the United States, especially on defense issues, while trying to shake off his country’s postwar pacifism.

For his part, the president of the United States, Joe Biden, went in person to the residence of the Japanese ambassador in Washington to convey his condolences.

Blinken is on the Asian continent as part of the G-20 Foreign Ministers’ meeting. In addition to events related to the summit, Blinken has had bilateral meetings with his Indonesian counterpart Retno Marsudi and his Chinese counterpart Wang Yi.

Likewise, the US Secretary of State seeks to strengthen his country’s alliance with Thailand to “advance the Indo-Pacific strategy for a free and open, connected, prosperous, secure and resilient region.”