WASHINGTON, Jan 17 — US President Joe Biden and Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida will meet virtually Friday to discuss bilateral ties as well as security in the Pacific region, the White House said.

On the agenda will be fighting Covid-19 and climate change and exploring new technologies, according to a statement Sunday from the White House.  

"The meeting will highlight the strength of the US-Japan Alliance, which is the cornerstone of peace, security, and stability in the Indo-Pacific and around the world,” White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki said in the statement. 

"President Biden looks forward to working with Prime Minister Kishida to advance our shared vision for a free and open Indo-Pacific,” the Psaki said, adding that the two will discuss issues pertaining to the "Quad,” the alliance formed among the United States, Japan, India and Australia which seeks to counter China’s growing influence in Asia.

Biden and Kishida met in person during the COP26 climate summit in Scotland last year and previously spoke by telephone when Kishida was elected in October. — AFP