NHK reported that USTR Lighthizer and Economic Revitalization Minister Motegi held talks in Washington on Thursday ahead of the summit between President Trump and Prime Minister Abe slated for Saturday. Motegi told reporters afterward that he and USTR Lighthizer held candid discussions from the perspective of how quickly the United States and Japan will be able to achieve a “win-win” outcome in their trade talks. The network quoted Motegi as adding that although it may be difficult to achieve results as soon as a week after the talks start or at the summit on Saturday because the two nations are discussing a broad range of issues, the focus of the discussions is already clear and he does not believe that major differences will emerge between the two leaders.