Japanese Prime Minister Ishiba Shigeru met with visiting U.S. Secretary Antony Blinken in Tokyo on January 7.

The two reaffirmed the importance of Japan-US ties ahead of the inauguration of President-elect Donald Trump.

The two also confirmed the importance of bilateral economic ties, including investment in the U.S. by Japanese companies.

The meeting came a day after Nippon Steel and U.S. Steel announced that they filed lawsuits to overturn President Joe Biden’s decision to block their proposed merger.

Japanese Foreign Minister Iwaya Takeshi said separately during the Japan-U.S. Foreign Minister’s meeting that Biden’s decision was “extremely regrettable.”

Iwaya also asked the U.S. side to take measures to dispel Japan’s concerns.