On the occasion of the 60th anniversary of the signing of the United States-Japan Treaty of Mutual Cooperation and Security, I would like to offer my congratulations and best regards to the outstanding Japanese and American leaders present today, including my good friend Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, Foreign Minister Toshimitsu Motegi, and Defense Minister Taro Kono.

Over the past six decades, the rock-solid Alliance between our two great nations has been essential to peace, security, and prosperity for the United States, Japan, the Indo-Pacific region, and the entire world.

As the security environment continues to evolve and new challenges arise, it is essential that our Alliance further strengthen and deepen. I am confident that in the months and years ahead, Japan’s contributions to our mutual security will continue to grow, and the Alliance will continue to thrive.