U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton met with Foreign Minister Takeaki Matsumoto on Sunday in Tokyo, where she expressed Washington's sympathy and solidarity with Japan's attempts to rebuild from the deadly quake and tsunami that claimed more than 13,000 lives.
"I wish to convey in person to the Japanese people my country's admiration for your strength in the face of this multidimensional crisis of unprecedented scope," Clinton said after the meeting. "We are very confident that Japan will demonstrate the resilience that we have seen during this crisis in the months ahead as you resume the very strong position that you hold in the world today."
Clinton was in town only for the afternoon. In their brief chat, the two foreign ministers agreed on a bilateral "private and public partnership" to support efforts to recover from the twin disasters, which struck eastern Japan on March 11.