Four members of the House of Representatives on Friday submitted a resolution marking the 150th anniversary of diplomatic relations between Japan and the United States and urging even deeper bilateral ties.
"Congress recognizes the importance in history of the 150th anniversary" and "calls for expanded political, economic, strategic and cultural ties between the Japanese and American people and their respective governments," states the resolution presented by the four representatives.
They are Henry Hyde, an Illinois Republican who chairs the House International Relations Committee; Tom Lantos, a California Democrat; Jim Leach, an Iowa Republican; and Eni Faleomavaega, a Democrat from American Samoa.
The resolution notes that Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi has stated the bilateral friendship is solid "because our countries share fundamental values like freedom, democracy and free market economy."