Thank you very much, Mr. President.

And once again, allow me to thank you for hosting us, Prime Minister Kishida and myself, in the White House for this very important agreement which we are going to formalize today.

We meet today as friends and partners, bound by a shared vision and pursuit of a peaceful, stable, and prosperous Indo-Pacific.

It is a partnership, borne not out of convenience nor of expediency, but as a natural progression of a deepening relations and robust cooperation amongst our three nations, linked by a profound respect for democracy, good governance, and the rule of law.

Today’s historic summit is a culmination of several preparatory engagements between our Foreign Ministers, our National Security Advisers, and our Vice Ministers, as well as the conduct of trilateral maritime exercises and joint development cooperation.

But this meeting can be just a beginning.

Facing the complex challenges of our time requires concerted efforts on everyone’s part, a dedication to a common purpose, and an unwavering commitment to the rules-based international order.

This is a meeting that looks ahead. As we deepen our ties and enhance our coordination, we seek to identify ways of growing our economies and making them more resilient, climate-proofing our cities and our societies, sustaining our development progress, and forging a peaceful world for the next generation.

Today’s summit is an opportunity to define the future we want, and how we intend to achieve it, together.

Thank you, and I wish us all a successful meeting.

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