Thomas Foley, the new U.S. ambassador, started his second official day on the job Thursday with a morning visit to Prime Minister Ryutaro Hashimoto and agreed to boost bilateral relations, officials said.
During their 30-minute meeting at the Prime Minister's Official Residence, Hashimoto said that he would like to cooperate with Foley not only to enhance bilateral relations between Japan and the U.S. but also to jointly play a part for the international community.
In reply, Foley, a former speaker of the House of Representatives, said he will make every effort as a representative of the U.S. to strengthen bilateral ties. The ambassador officially assumed his post Wednesday.
As the first major task in his new capacity, Foley is to visit Ginowan, Okinawa Prefecture, today to attend a government-organized ceremony to celebrate the 25th anniversary of the return of Okinawa to Japanese sovereignty.