Ambassador Schieffer's Holiday Message 2006

As 2006 draws to a close and we look forward to a new year, my wife Susanne and I would like to extend our warmest holiday greetings to all of our friends here in Japan.

In the United States, the new year is a time to look back on past accomplishments and an opportunity to make "resolutions" about what you hope to achieve in the year to come. Our two nations accomplished much together in 2006. We cooperated on issues like missile defense and North Korea and worked hand-in-hand through organizations like the United Nations and APEC.

With a stronger bilateral alliance than ever before, I look forward to how much we can accomplish in 2007. We can continue to move military transformation forward, enhancing regional security while reducing the impact on both our peoples. We can also move closer towards fully opening our markets to one another, ensuring that our two economies - the largest in the world - will continue to prosper.

May the new year see our alliance deepen and our friendship continue to grow, and best wishes for a healthy and happy new year.

Season's Greetings,