Japanese Prime Minister’s Visit to Include State Dinner, Joint Presser
WASHINGTON — President Joe Biden will host Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida at the White House next Wednesday for a state visit intended to underscore the strength of the alliance between the two nations, the White House said on Thursday.
The visit by the prime minister and his wife, Yuko Kishida, will include a greeting by the president and First Lady Dr. Jill Biden on the South Lawn, followed by a bilateral meeting of the two leaders.
According to advance notice from the White House, the president and Kishida will “discuss efforts to strengthen our political, security, economic and people-to-people ties so that our alliance is postured to address evolving challenges and advance our shared vision for a free, open, secure and prosperous Indo-Pacific region and world.”
After their meeting Biden will host a joint press conference with the prime minister in the Rose Garden.
The press conference is particularly notable because Biden has generally refrained from holding them, preferring to take questions from reporters when he is traveling or departing for or arriving back from trips.
As for the evening schedule, the president and first lady will greet the prime minister and his wife at the North Portico prior to the state dinner before the two couples pose for pictures at the White House’s grand staircase.
From there, they will proceed to the East Room for the state dinner, which Vice President Kamala Harris and Second Gentleman Doug Emhoff will also attend.
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