Prime Minister Shinzo Abe attended the first meeting in FY2014 of the Forum for Consultations between the National and Regional Governments at the Prime Minister's Office.

During the meeting, discussion took place on the “formulation of the Basic Policies” and the “promotion of decentralization reform.”
　
The Prime Minister said in his opening address,

“With regard to key policy issues of concern to the regions, we intend to promote such policies while heeding the opinions of the regions and working in partnership with regional governments.

There will be no vitalization of Japan without the vitalization of regional communities.

As I have stated repeatedly, the revitalization of the regions is a top priority for the Abe Cabinet.

We intend to carry out radical community-based initiatives in order to ensure that everyone throughout the country experiences the warm winds of Abenomics firsthand, to revitalize the regions, and to halt the trend toward the rapid decline and extreme aging of the population.

In addition, in compiling the Basic Policies, we will include Government-wide measures to create the necessary environment to ensure that we overcome deflation and realize sustainable growth, including budgetary and tax arrangements, and regulatory reform.

During the current session of the Diet, the Abe Cabinet has enacted legislation on the transition of the work and authority from the national government to local governments, among other matters, and legislation for the revision of the system of large metropolitan areas and creation of new wide-area collaborative systems.

Furthermore, we recently established the 31st Local Government System Research Council for carrying out further investigations and deliberations on the future of the regional administrative system, among other matters, to respond appropriately to the issue of the declining population.

While playing close heed to the opinions of regional governments, and working together with you all, the Abe Cabinet will further advance necessary reforms, including, of course, the series of decentralization reforms that were started during the first Abe Cabinet, as well as reforms that are needed in order to create regions that are independent and that can leverage their unique characteristics.
　
Today I would like you to discuss the two topics of the Basic Policies and decentralization reforms.

I look forward to hearing your frank opinions as members of regional governments. Thank you.”