WASHINGTON, April 10. /TASS/. US President Joe Biden and Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida, who is on a state visit to Washington, are planning some major changes for how the US Army operates in Japan, a senior Washington administration official said.

"For the first time ever, we will be changing the structure of our troops in Japan," he said, adding that this will create "a real possibility for integration" of the two countries' militaries. Another senior US administration official pointed out that "working out details" of this reorganization will take several months. According to her, this will be "the biggest change" in the allied relations between the US and Japan in the last 60 years and will meet "the challenges of the 21st century."

In addition, according to the Washington administration, Biden and Kishida will announce after the meeting the creation of a "military-technical council" that will allow the two countries' militaries to "jointly produce weapons. " The official said that Japan’s capabilities will allow the US to expand its military production in order to meet its "strategic commitments."

At the same time, Biden and Kishida will announce "a major agreement on lunar exploration," under which the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) will become a "full partner" of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA). The US and Japanese leaders will also announce several artificial intelligence initiatives following the meeting.

The Japanese Prime Minister is on a state visit to the US. He is accompanied by Foreign Minister Yoko Kamikawa and Economy, Trade and Industry Minister Ken Saito. Kishida is scheduled to meet with Biden on April 10 and deliver a speech to the US Congress the following day. A trilateral summit with the President of the Philippines Ferdinand Marcos Jr. is also scheduled. This is the first state visit by a Japanese prime minister to the United States in nine years. The last such visit took place in 2015, when former Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe came to the US.