Tokyo: Prime Minister Naoto Kan and US Vice President Joe Biden agreed on Tuesday to further cement bilateral ties in rebuilding areas of Japan devastated by the March 11 earthquake and tsunami.
“We reiterate our gratitude for the enormous assistance of the United States,” Kan told Biden at the outset of their talks, which were open to the press.
He said Japan’s economy and tourism industry were back to normal and voiced hope the US Vice President’s visit would be a “good chance” to demonstrate to the world that Japan is open for business.
During their talks at the premier’s office, Biden noted that Japan remains an ally of the United States and said that “our only regret is that we could not even do more” in the wake of the disaster. Kan was quoted by a Japanese official as telling Biden he “regrets” that he could not visit the United States in his capacity as prime minister because of “Japan’s political situation,” referring to his imminent resignation.
“I am sorry for failing to fulfill my promise,” the premier said.
Biden, the first US vice president to visit Japan since Dick Cheney in February 2007, arrived on Monday for a three-day visit.
His itinerary includes a visit to Sendai on Tuesday afternoon, making him the highest-ranking US official to visit the disaster-ravaged northeast of Japan.
Biden is scheduled to deliver a speech on Japan’s recovery and reconstruction efforts at tsunami-damaged Sendai airport, where US forces conducted relief work under “Operation Tomodachi” launched immediately after the natural disasters. (PTI)