Japan’s new prime minister, Shigeru Ishiba, said Tuesday that bilateral relations between Japan and the United States are important, and so are the ties between Japan and South Korea. 

Ishiba made the remarks in his first press conference after taking office, in response to a question about summit diplomacy.

The new prime minister said it is important to be clear about a summit’s purpose, adding that different countries have different national interests.

What’s important, he continued, is how serious each country is in engaging in talks based on its national interests and what results will be achieved.

Ishiba is known as a “dove” on the matter of Japan’s ties with South Korea, having expressed relatively moderate views on bilateral historical issues, but his latest remarks appear to indicate an intent to prioritize Japan’s interests in future summits.