By David Brunnstrom, Simon Lewis, Trevor Hunnicutt and Tim Kelly TOKYO/WASHINGTON (Reuters) -The foreign ministers of Japan and the United States said their countries' ties were stronger than ever on Tuesday,

The president said he was moving to protect national security in deciding the fate of the iconic Pennsylvania-based company, which became a contentious political issue in an election year.

U.S. Steel and its would-be Japanese suitor filed twin lawsuits Monday to defend their $15 billion merger. President Biden issued an order on Friday to block the deal, citing national security concerns.