「菅氏は信頼できる同志」　ハガティ前駐日米大使

　【ワシントン時事】菅義偉首相の官房長官時代を知る前駐日米大使のハガティ上院議員は３日、菅氏の退陣表明を受けて声明を出し「信頼できる同志であり、パートナーであり、『課題解決者』だった。共に仕事をする中で、どんな困難も過大ではなかった」と振り返った。
　ハガティ氏は在任中、沖縄県の在日米軍基地問題などをめぐって菅氏と頻繁に面会し、信頼関係を構築してきた。声明では、インド太平洋地域で中国や北朝鮮、ロシアの脅威が増していると指摘した上で「（菅氏は）かつてないほど強化された日米の戦略的関係に今後も多大な貢献を続けると確信している」と期待を示した。（2021/09/04-07:48）

Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga "was a trusted ally, partner, and problem solver," U.S. Sen. Bill Hagerty, former ambassador to Japan, said in a statement released Friday after Suga's abrupt announcement that he would not seek re-election.
   Hagerty, who resigned as U.S. ambassador to Japan in July 2019 to run for the Senate, also said that "no challenge was too great" when he worked with Suga in Japan. Suga was serving as chief cabinet secretary at the time, before becoming prime minister in September 2020.
   While in office as ambassador, Hagerty is believed to have forged a trusting relationship with Suga as he frequently met with the then chief cabinet secretary to discuss the planned relocation of a U.S. military base within the southernmost Japan prefecture of Okinawa, among other issues.
   "I feel certain he will continue to contribute significantly to the ever-strengthening strategic relationship enjoyed between our two nations," Hagerty said, noting that the Japan-U.S. alliance serves as the cornerstone for peace and prosperity in the Indo-Pacific and is critical to combatting growing threats from China, North Korea and Russia.
   On Friday, Suga said he will not run in the upcoming leadership election for Japan's ruling Liberal Democratic Party, signaling his intention to step down as prime minister. His term of office as LDP president ends on Sept. 30.