Takaichi states she would like to build cooperation for a resilient Indo-Pacific

At the outset, Prime Minister TAKAICHI extended her congratulations on the 40th anniversary of the independence of the FSM this year, and welcomed the President's second visit to Japan this year.Prime Minister TAKAICHI stated under the updated "Free and Open Indo-Pacific (FOIP)," she would like to build cooperation so that both countries "become more resilient and prosperous together." She also expressed that Japan will continue its cooperation to enhance "the freedom to decide for itself " and "resilience" of the FSM, including the decision of conducting JICA survey for providing a cargo-passenger ship. In response, President Simina expressed his gratitude to the Government and people of Japan for their support and cooperation in a wide range of fields to date, and showed a strong desire to further strengthen bilateral relations. Furthermore, President Simina expressed his welcome for the concept of and initiatives under the updated "Free and Open Indo-Pacific (FOIP)."The two leaders also exchanged views on regional affairs and cooperation in the international arena, and confirmed the importance of maintaining and strengthening the unity and integrity of the Pacific Island region.Furthermore, the two leaders concurred on continuing to cooperate closely toward the success of the 11th Pacific Islands Leaders Meeting (PALM 11), which is scheduled to be held in Yokohama next summer, marking the 30th anniversary of the establishment of PALM.