Nikkei wrote that Foreign Minister Kono held talks with visiting U.S. lawmakers from the Senate and House Armed Services Committees on Monday, during which they agreed on bilateral cooperation for creating a “free and open Indo-Pacific” region. The top Japanese diplomat called for U.S. cooperation by saying: “The U.S.-Japan alliance is more important than ever in the face of the increasingly severe regional security environment. We would like to promote cooperation with the United States for the realization of the Indo-Pacific initiative.”