日米首脳会談で日韓関係も議論　「最重要同盟」を深化―米政府高官

　【ワシントン時事】米政府高官は１５日、菅義偉首相との１６日の日米首脳会談で、バイデン大統領は悪化する日韓関係の改善についても話し合う意向だと明らかにした。また、今夏の東京五輪開催に関し菅首相から「最新状況を聞く」と語った。
　同高官は、会談の目的は両首脳の個人的信頼を高め、「最重要同盟国」である日本との関係を深化させることだと説明。その上で、日韓関係の悪化は「北東アジアでわれわれがなし得ることを妨げる。大統領は議論を望んでいる」と語った。（2021/04/16-10:07）

U.S. President Joe Biden plans to discuss ways to improve the relationship between Japan and South Korea when he holds talks with Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga in Washington on Friday, a senior administration official said Thursday.
   The deterioration in ties between Tokyo and Seoul "impedes all of our abilities to be effective in Northeast Asia, and I think the president will want to discuss this," the official said.
   In the talks with Suga, the first face-to-face meeting with a foreign national leader for Biden since he took office in January, the president is also expected to "ask for an update and his view on how things stand" about the Tokyo Olympic Games planned to be held this summer, according to the official.
   The meeting is designed to "build trust and confidence, and take our most important alliance to the next level," the official added.
   The official also said that the two leaders will have in-depth discussions on issues between China and Taiwan as well as climate change.