U.S. President George W. Bush will express his support for Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi's economic reforms when he visits Japan next month, and the Japanese economy will be one of the major topics of discussion, U.S. Ambassador to Japan Howard Baker said Tuesday.
"It is our fundamental belief that a strong Japanese economy is in the United States' national interest, and is important to the (economic) health of the entire world," Baker said at the Foreign Correspondents' Club of Japan.
Saying that strong economies in the U.S. and Japan are the "prime engine" for global economic growth, Baker said Bush will reiterate his support for Koizumi's efforts to take specific steps to "restore prosperity and economic vigor" in Japan.