Tokyo, May 27: United States President Donald Trump became the first international leader on Monday to meet with Japanese new emperor Naruhito, who moved upward to the throne at the beginning of the month.
According to Dawn news reports, Trump, who embarked on an office four-day visit to Tokyo, was greeted by Empress Masako and the emperor at the Imperial Palace, Tokyo. Ahead of the meeting, Trump stated it was a “great honour”.
On Sunday, on Japanese national’s abduction by North Korea, Trump said, “It’s over 200 years since something like this has happened,” adding, “So it’s a great honour to be representing the United States.”
Trump, accompanied by First Lady Melania Trump, were greeted by a Japanese guard and huge crowds, who waved Japanese-US flags as part of the formal welcoming ceremony of the US president on Monday.
Trump and his wife will have dinner when they will return back to the imperial palace late in the evening.
Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and Trump also held meeting at the Akasaka Palace, during which they discussed ties with North Korea and trade.
However, the US president has stated “much” of bilateral trade agreements will wait until the Japanese PM faces general elections for the nation’s upper house of parliament, expected to take place in July.
On Monday, Trump said, “Trade wise … we will be announcing some things in August that will be very good for both countries.” He also referenced the recent nuclear activity by North Korea ahead of a scheduled meeting on Monday with the victims’ families – abducted Japanese nationals’ families.
The decades-old issue is a painful chapter in relations between Pyongyang and Tokyo.
On North Korea, Trump said he still believed “lots of good things will come … I may be right, I may be wrong, but I feel that”.
Trump also mentioned US ties with Iran, noting Abe was close to the leader of Iran.
“I do believe that Iran would like to talk and if they’d like to talk, we’d like to talk also,” newswire AFP reported him as saying. “Nobody wants to see terrible things happen, especially me.”