日本政府、選挙結果を注視　米大統領選

　加藤勝信官房長官は４日の記者会見で、開票作業が始まった米大統領選について「日本政府として選挙の結果、その結果として起こり得る影響なども含めて引き続き高い関心を持って注視していきたい」と語った。
　今回の大統領選は郵便投票が急増し、開票作業が遅れる見通し。接戦なら勝者が判明するまで時間がかかるとされる。加藤氏は新大統領に祝意を伝える時期に関し、言及を避けた上で「適切なタイミングに祝意を伝達していきたい」と述べるにとどめた。
　菅義偉首相は４日の衆院予算委員会で、大統領選に関するコメントについて「差し控える」と述べた。
　日米同盟を外交の基軸とする日本政府は選挙結果を踏まえ、首相が訪米して新大統領と会談する時期を検討する方針だ。（2020/11/04-12:44）

Chief Cabinet Secretary Katsunobu Kato said Wednesday that the Japanese government is carefully waiting to confirm the result of Tuesday's U.S. presidential election, for which vote counting has started.
   "We'll continue to wait, with great attention, to confirm the outcome of the election, including what could happen as a result," the top Japanese government spokesman said at a press conference.
   The vote counting is expected to be delayed due to a surge in voting by mail. If the U.S. election is close, it would take time for the country to know who is the winner--incumbent President Donald Trump or Democratic Party candidate Joe Biden, former U.S vice president.
   Kato stopped short of referring to a specific timing of the Japanese government conveying its congratulatory message to the winner of the election, which has been closely watched around the world. "We'll do so at an appropriate time," he said.
   Meanwhile, Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga refrained from commenting on the election at the moment, at Wednesday's meeting of the Budget Committee of the House of Representatives, the lower chamber of the Diet, Japan's parliament.