Politics

Kishida receives Blinken in impromptu visit after death of Abe

Tokyo, Jul 11 (EFE).- Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida on Monday received US Secretary of State Antony Blinken, who traveled to Tokyo to personally convey his condolences for the assassination of former leader Shinzo Abe.

The US envoy changed the agenda of his trip to Asia to schedule a stopover in Tokyo before returning to the US to pay his respects to Abe a day ahead of his funeral and to meet with high-ranking officials.

Blinken was scheduled to return to Washington after visiting Thailand Sunday, where he arrived from the G20 foreign ministers’ meeting in Bali, from where he had reacted to Abe’s murder on Friday, describing it as a “tragedy.”

Kishida received the head of US diplomacy two days after speaking by phone with President Joe Biden, with whom he discussed how Abe’s legacy will live on as long as both countries continue their alliance.

Blinken made a first stop at the US Embassy in Tokyo before heading to the Kantei, the official residence and office of the Japanese prime minister, along with US ambassador to Japan Rahm Emanuel for a closed-door meeting with Kishida. EFE

mra/tw

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