The White House announced that U.S. President Joe Biden will host Japanese Prime Minister Kishida Fumio for an official visit to the United States on April 10.
In a statement from Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre released on January 25, Kishida’s visit will include a state dinner, which "will underscore the enduring strength” of the bilateral alliance.
The last time a sitting Japanese prime minister visited the U.S. was in 2015, when then President Barack Obama hosted a summit for former Japanese Prime Minister Abe Shinzo.
Jean-Pierre also said Biden and Kishida will discuss efforts to strengthen political, security, economic, and people-to-people ties between their two countries.
Meanwhile, White House National Security Council spokesperson John Kirby told local media that as Japan is one of the closest allies of the U.S. in the world, the alliance between the two countries was "very critical" in the Indo-Pacific region.
Kirby also expressed his confidence that the two leaders will likely have "a robust discussion" on how their respective countries will improve their mutual capabilities across the board and how the U.S. and Japan will work together across multiple sectors and tackle challenges to bring more stability and value into the Indo Pacific region.