On the Convening of the U.S.-Japan Security Subcommittee (SSC) Meeting

July 18, 2009

A meeting of senior officials of the U.S.-Japan Security Subcommittee (SSC) was held at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) on Saturday, July 18, 2009. Kurt Campbell, Assistant Secretary of State for East Asian and Pacific Affairs, and Wallace Gregson, Assistant Secretary of Defense, Asian and Pacific Security Affairs, led the U.S. delegation. Kazuyoshi Umemoto, Director General of the North American Affairs Bureau, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and Nobushige Takamizawa, Director General of the Defense Policy Bureau, Ministry of Defense, led the Japanese delegation.

At the meeting, the two sides agreed to consult closely on U.S.-Japan security arrangements under the 2+2 framework. Participants in the meeting exchanged views on the situation in North Korea and the current security environment in Asia and the Pacific. They also confirmed the importance of examining the roles, missions, and capabilities of the two countries and of the steady implementation of the Road Map for U.S. Forces Japan realignment.