Prime Minister Taro Aso and new U.S. Ambassador John Roos met Tuesday for the first time and agreed to strengthen bilateral relations.
"We spoke about the strength of the bilateral relationships between the two countries and how we will continue to strengthen them," Roos told reporters at the prime minister's office.
During their meeting, Aso said he hopes the two countries will work closely on the realignment of U.S. forces in Japan and issues in the Asia-Pacific region, including those concerning North Korea, the Foreign Ministry said.