• 
• 

 
On December 3, 2019, Prime Minister Shinzo Abe attended a Liaison Meeting of the Government and Ruling Parties at the Prime Minister’s Office.
 
The Prime Minister said in his opening address,
 
“There is just one week left to this Diet session. Thanks to the hard work of the ruling parties, the deliberation of bills and treaties, which were submitted by the Government, are progressing steadily, including the Japan-U.S. Trade Agreement. For the remainder of the Diet session, I intend for the Cabinet as a whole to deliver careful and thorough explanations, and engage in discussions with self-discipline with a view to enacting the bills and treaties.
 
The law on providing compensation to family members of former patients of Hansen’s disease was enacted unanimously the other day. I would like to express once again my respect and gratitude to everyone who has worked hard towards the enactment of this law, including the Parliamentary Groups working on this issue.
 
The other day, I met again with the representatives of the plaintiffs, and was left anew with an indelible memory of how the families were forced to suffer great pain and hardship for many years as they were subjected to extreme prejudice and discrimination. While listening to the voices of the families, the Government will work as one and exert every effort to eradicate prejudice and discrimination against Hansen’s disease, beginning with the smooth enforcement of the law.
 
The formulation of a new economic policy package is reaching the final stage and we hope to have it ready within this week. In addition to realizing the early recovery and reconstruction of the areas affected by disasters, it will also sustain the path of exiting deflation and achieving economic revitalization. We are also working on compiling the supplementary budget for the implementation of this policy package, as well as the next fiscal year budget that will include a series of temporary special measures, and we are entering the final stages of work towards the amendment of the tax system.
 
None of these can be materialized without the discussions and deliberations by the ruling parties, so I ask for your special understanding and cooperation for this compilation work.
 
If circumstances permit, I shall be visiting India from December 15 to 17, and China from December 23 to 25.
 
During my visit to India, I hope to discuss with Prime Minister Modi the realization of a ‘free and open Indo-Pacific,’ security and defense cooperation, coordination towards expanding people-to-people and economic exchange, and the regional situation.
 
In China, I will attend the Japan-China-Republic of Korea (ROK) Trilateral Summit Meeting, and arrangements are also being made for a Japan-China Summit Meeting and Japan-ROK Summit Meeting. This year marks the milestone of the 20th anniversary of the start of Japan-China-ROK cooperation. In addition to summing up our future-oriented Japan-China-ROK cooperation, which has been developing in a wide range of areas, I also hope to engage in a frank exchange of views about the regional situation, including the issue of North Korea, and the various issues faced by the international community.
 
Once we see in the new year, the Tokyo Olympic and Paralympic Games will be right around the corner. As the whole of Japan is filled with a sense of dynamism for the future, the Government and ruling parties will work as one to tackle bold reforms in all policy areas. That is what I hope to achieve in the coming year, and I ask for your continued cooperation to that end.”