Highlighting JAPAN

Japan-Russia Summit Meeting

On December 15 and 16, Prime Minister Shinzo Abe hosted a summit meeting and other events with H.E. Mr. Vladimir Vladimirovich Putin, president of the Russian Federation. In the press occasion on December 15, the Prime Minister said the following:

“I had an approximately three hour long meeting with President Putin.

During the meeting with a small number of participants, we discussed bilateral and global issues, the importance of Russia playing a constructive role in addressing those global issues, and that Japan and Russia working together can resolve various issues.

The one-on-one meeting between President Putin and me lasted for about 95 minutes. Our discussion focused mainly on the peace treaty issue.

Based on our previous discussions, we were able to hold frank and very in-depth discussions on the issue of former island residents freely visiting their old hometowns, joint economic activities under a special arrangement between Japan and Russia on the four islands of the Northern Territories, and the peace treaty issue. I gave him letters that I received from the former islanders when I met them a few days ago. President Putin read a letter, which was written in Russian, on the spot. With the average age of the former islanders being 81 years old, I approached the discussion taking firmly to heart the former islanders’ feeling that there is very little time left.”

World Assembly for Women : WAW! 2016

On December 13 and 14, the World Assembly for Women: WAW! 2016 was held in Tokyo as one of the efforts to realize a “Society where Women Shine,” which is one of the Abe Administration’s top priorities. At the outset of the Public Forum, Prime Minister Abe delivered a speech about a change in “attitudes” through “action” and aiming for a society in which all people can participate in their own way without constraints in light of this year’s theme of WAW! for Action. In particular, he touched upon Japan’s specific initiatives and the direction in which Japan should head with the international community regarding the following three themes that WAW! would like to shed light on this year, namely “promotion of working style reforms,” “participation by women in decision-making and leadership,” and “building peaceful and safe society by women.” Finally, he said his passion he demonstrated in putting efforts into the women’s agenda as chair at the G7 Ise-Shima Summit will continue, even though his role as G7 chairman has completed, and he promised to steadily implement over 3 billion dollars in total assistance for women in developing countries by 2018.