Suga's Visit to the U.S. Is an 'Official Working Visit' with Minimal Protocol... Schedule Simplified and Focused on Work

▲Joe Biden (left), President of the United States, and Yoshihide Suga (right), Prime Minister of Japan

[Asia Economy Reporter Kwon Jae-hee] As Japanese Prime Minister Yoshihide Suga's visit to the United States draws attention as the first summit meeting under the Joe Biden administration, it has been reported that the format of this visit is an 'official working visit.'

Foreign visits by heads of state are categorized into several formats such as 'state visit,' 'official visit,' 'official working visit,' and 'working visit,' with corresponding differences in protocol.

According to the schedule released by the White House on the 15th (local time), President Biden is set to welcome Prime Minister Suga, who is making an official working visit, in the Oval Office at 1:30 p.m. Eastern Time on the 16th (2:30 a.m. Korean time on the 17th).

From 2:30 p.m., an expanded US-Japan summit meeting including relevant cabinet members will take place. At 4:15 p.m., a joint press conference is scheduled to be held in the White House Rose Garden.

The schedule with President Biden and Prime Minister Suga concludes after this, with President Biden expected to leave the White House at 5:30 p.m. and head to Wilmington, Delaware, where his residence is located.

Typically, when a foreign head of state visits the White House, the President and First Lady greet them at the entrance, but based on the schedule alone, it appears that the US and Japanese leaders will exchange greetings in the Oval Office.

The format of Prime Minister Suga's visit as an 'official working visit' is interpreted as a result of efforts to simplify the schedule and focus on work due to the spread of COVID-19.

After completing the talks and press conference with President Biden, Prime Minister Suga is scheduled to deliver a speech at 6 p.m. the same day at the US think tank, the Center for Strategic and International Studies, on the theme of 'My Vision for the US-Japan Alliance.'

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.