Nikkei reported on a meeting between Prime Minister Abe and PACOM Commander Harris at the Kantei on July 26. The two officials agreed to promote defense cooperation between the U.S. and Japan by implementing the bilateral defense cooperation guidelines and Japan’s new security laws. Abe told Admiral Harris that it was encouraging that the U.S. and Japan worked more closely than before in responding to North Korea’s recent ballistic missile launches. Admiral Harris told the prime minister that the U.S.-Japan alliance is the key to peace and stability in the Asia-Pacific region.