Remarks With Japanese Foreign Minister Kishida Before Their Meeting

Statement

SECRETARY KERRY: Thank you, Fumio. Really a pleasure to see you again so soon. We were together at the G-8, then the meeting in Washington. I said as I came in I think I am seeing you and living with you more than any other foreign minister. (Laughter.) So it's a pleasure that we're working such a terrific, effective relationship so early, and we appreciate it.

It's no accident that we met together before I went to both the G-8 as well as to Seoul and to China, Beijing. And now I am here. So I hope it's a clear statement to Japan of the strength of our relationship, the important interests that we share together.

I'll have a chance in a few minutes to relay to you more directly the results of the meetings that we had in both Seoul and Beijing. But I think in general terms I can tell you that they were extremely constructive, very positive with respect to the common interests that we share with respect to stability in the region, particularly with respect to the denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula, which I know is on everybody's mind.

But we have a lot of other issues to talk about, and I look forward to having a very robust and thorough conversation with you, as we always do.

Thank you. Thank you for (inaudible).

FOREIGN MINISTER KISHIDA: (In Japanese.)

SECRETARY KERRY: (Inaudible.) (Laughter.)

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