U.S. President Donald Trump on Saturday offered "deepest condolences" over the death earlier in the week of former Prime Minister Yasuhiro Nakasone, saying he had laid the foundation for the U.S.-Japan partnership.
"On behalf of the American people, Melania and I offer our deepest condolences to the people of Japan and to the loved ones of former Prime Minister Yasuhiro Nakasone," Trump said in a statement.
"The former prime minister's efforts to strengthen the United States-Japan alliance and his commitment to expanding democratic governance in Asia laid the foundation for the global partnership" between the two countries, Trump said.
The partnership is "a cornerstone of peace, prosperity, and freedom in the Indo-Pacific region and across the world," he added.
Nakasone, who died Friday at the age of 101, served as prime minister from 1982 to 1987 during the Cold War, forming a close bond with U.S. President Ronald Reagan that allowed him to pursue a robust bilateral alliance.
