Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and U.S. President Barack Obama agreed Sunday to strengthen security ties to enhance stability in the Asia-Pacific region, pledging to team up to revise bilateral defense cooperation guidelines.
During their talks on the sidelines of a Group of 20 summit in Brisbane, the two leaders also confirmed they will make further efforts toward an early conclusion of the Trans-Pacific Partnership free trade negotiations, which have stalled amid disagreements between Tokyo and Washington on key issues.
The two leaders were meeting for the first time since the Democrats, led by Obama, suffered a major setback in U.S. midterm elections earlier this month that threatens to reduce the president's influence on the global stage.