Tokyo [Japan], July 11 (ANI): US Secretary of State Antony Blinken on Monday met Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida in Tokyo to offer his condolences on the demise of former premier Shinzo Abe and praised his legacy.
Blinked offered his condolences on behalf of President Joe Biden and the American people on the assassination of Abe.
Secretary Blinken reflected on Prime Minister Abe’s legacy and recalled with the Prime Minister shared efforts, over the course of multiple Japanese and US administrations, to strengthen the US-Japan Alliance and reinforce the vision of a free and open Indo-Pacific, said US State Department spokesperson Ned Price.
Blinken reiterated the deep and abiding friendship between the United States and Japan and thanked the Prime Minister for the opportunity to visit and pay his respects.
On behalf of President Biden, the Secretary also delivered a letter of condolence to the Abe family, said Price.
As far as global leadership is concerned, Abe was ahead of his times. The Quad, the ASEAN-led forums, the Indo-Pacific Oceans Initiative, the Asia-Africa Growth Corridor and the Coalition for Disaster Resilient Infrastructure all benefited from his contributions.
Abe was attacked on Friday morning in the city of Nara during his campaign speech. Tetsuya Yamagami, 41, approached the politician from behind and fired two shots from a distance of about 10 meters (33 feet).
Police said Abe was conscious immediately after being wounded, but then, during transportation, his condition became critical “with cardiac and pulmonary arrest.” Later in the day, Nara Medical University hospital pronounced him dead.
On Saturday, the head of police in Nara Prefecture, Kazuo Ohashi, said the potential security issues in the case of the assassination of Shinzo Abe cannot be denied. “There is no denying that there was a security issue there,” the official said in a press conference.
According to Ohashi, the assassination was an act of “inexcusable barbarism,” and it is necessary to investigate the case “in the most thorough way.”
Japanese prime minister Fumio Kishida earlier in his live address to the country yesterday said “this is not a forgivable act,” and that authorities would “take appropriate measures to handle the situation.” (ANI)