Secretary Blinken to Deliver Remarks and Sign U.S.-Japan Space Cooperation Framework Agreement

Secretary of State Antony J. Blinken will join Japanese Prime Minister Kishida Fumio and Minister for Foreign Affairs Hayashi Yoshimasa, along with NASA Administrator Bill Nelson and other U.S. and Japanese leaders at 4:30 p.m. EST Friday, January 13, at NASA Headquarters in Washington, D.C.

The visit will air on state.gov and the Department of State YouTube channel.

Secretary Blinken and Foreign Minister Hayashi are expected to sign an agreement at NASA that will build on decades of bilateral cooperation in the exploration and use of outer space for peaceful purposes and that underscores the commitment of the United States and Japan to safe and responsible outer space activities in Earth’s orbit, at the Moon, and beyond.

Japanese Ambassador to the United States Tomita Koji, Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency President (JAXA) Yamakawa Hiroshi, and U.S. Ambassador to Japan Rahm Emanuel will also be in attendance.

Media interested in attending in person must RSVP no later than 10 a.m. on January 13, to Faith McKie at: faith.d.mckie@nasa.gov. Masks are required onsite at NASA Headquarters. The signing and visit come on the heels of a November 2021 implementing arrangement between NASA and the Government of Japan, outlining further contributions by Japan to the Gateway, a key component of the Artemis missions for long-term lunar exploration. Both instruments are important results of President Joe Biden’s May 2022 visit to Japan.