Japan PM Ishiba expressed desire to strengthen US alliance in first call with Biden

Japan’s new PM Shigeru Ishiba attends press conference in Tokyo

TOKYO (Reuters) – Japan’s new Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba said on Wednesday he wanted to strengthen his nation’s alliance with the United States in his first call with President Joe Biden.

Ishiba said he didn’t discuss the Status of Forces Agreement (SOFA), which sets out the legal status of U.S. bases and military personnel in Japan, during his call with Biden.

Ishiba said he strongly condemned Iran’s missile attacks against Israel and wanted to make efforts to avoid further escalation in the Middle East.

(Reporting by Kaori Kaneko, Rocky Swift; Editing by Christian Schmollinger)