When Prime Minister Yoshihiko Noda meets with Barack Obama on Monday, they will hold the first formal one-on-one talks between a Japanese leader and a U.S. president in Washington since February 2009.
A new agreement to return land controlled by U.S. military facilities in Okinawa to Japan is expected to be a highlight at the meeting, while greater bilateral cooperation between the State Department and the Foreign Ministry, as well as between the Pentagon and the Defense Ministry, is also thought to be on the agenda.
In addition, Noda and Obama will discuss numerous security and political issues, ranging from pressing concerns such as North Korea's recent rocket launch to more welcome global developments, including Myanmar's democratic reforms.