During his tenure in Japan , Schieffer was again cited by the office of the Inspector General for an exemplary job of leading and managing the 1000-plus personnel embassy . He was also intimately involved in negotiating the most far-reaching reorganization of the U.S.-Japan alliance since the signing of the Security Agreement in 1960 . The U.S.-Japan alliance has been and continues to be the linchpin of both countries ' security in Asia and the Pacific . Under the terms of the new agreement , Japan agreed to provide billions of dollars in assistance to the United States to help modernize U.S. facilities in Japan . Schieffer was also instrumental in strengthening the intelligence ties between the two countries . Heavily involved in the six-party talks , which centered on North Korea 's attempts to become a nuclear weapons state , Schieffer was also praised by both Japan and U.S. officials for diplomatic skills throughout the talks . Schieffer was praised by Japan and U.S. human rights groups for keeping the issue of the abduction of Japanese citizens by North Korean intelligence agents before negotiators . During his time in Japan , Schieffer attended five more summits with the U.S. President and three Japanese Prime Ministers including the 2008 G-8 Summit in Hokkaido . He departed this post on January 20 , 2009
2008 G-8 Summit
34th G8 summit
Tom Schieffer