S/ Ishiba Shigeru, Japanese Prime Minister / It was all about "Make America great again." As of now, we think he is placing priority on bilateral ties over multilateral frameworks, so we want to engage in sincere discussions and establish a relationship of trust.

Japanese Prime Minister Ishiba Shigeru made the remarks in Tokyo on January 21 concerning Donald Trump, who was sworn in overnight as the 47th US president.

Ishiba said he thought Trump's inauguration speech summarized the assertions he made during his presidential election campaign.

Japanese government officials said the speech was within expectations and presented no surprises.

Arrangements are being made for Ishiba to visit the United States in February for talks with Trump.

An aide to the Japanese leader said the key point will be on whether Ishiba can com-municate concisely in his meeting with Trump.

A senior Japanese Foreign Ministry official noted that building relationships is not easy but that it is important for Japan to take necessary actions proactively.

Observers are watching to see if Ishiba can negotiate from a position of advantage in dealing with Trump.