Japan’s prime minister has been invited to address Congress next month.
House Speaker John Boehner, R-Ohio, invited Prime Minister Shinzo Abe to speak to a joint meeting about “economic and security priorities” the two nations share.
Abe will be the first Japanese leader to address Congress, according to Boehner’s office.
“His address will provide an opportunity for the American people to hear from one of our closest allies about ways we can expand our cooperation on economic and security priorities,” Boehner said. “That, of course, includes working together to open markets and encourage more economic growth through free trade.”
Japan is one of 12 Pacific Rim countries currently negotiating the Trans-Pacific Partnership trade pact, the main item on President Obama’s trade agenda. Trade is one of the few issues on which Obama and Republicans agree.
The proposal would lower tariffs and set new, uniform regulations for intellectual property, labor and state-owned enterprises for the nations. Besides the U.S. and Japan, those nations include Australia, Brunei, Canada, Chile, Japan, Malaysia, Mexico, New Zealand, Peru, Singapore and Vietnam. China is not included.
