Opening Plenary of the APEC Business Advisory Council (ABAC) Meeting

On August 2, 2024, Prime Minister Kishida attended the opening plenary of the APEC (Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation) Business Advisory Council (ABAC) meeting held in Tokyo.

Prime Minister Kishida said in his remarks:

“Good afternoon, ladies and gentlemen. I am KISHIDA Fumio, Prime Minister of Japan. I would like to extend my heartfelt welcome for the first ABAC (APEC (Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation) Business Advisory Council) meeting in Japan in six years.

I am honored to address ABAC Chair Torreblanca and business leaders in the Asia Pacific region.

The first APEC meeting I attended was a ministerial meeting held in Indonesia in 2013. Since then, I have attended APEC meetings three times as Prime Minister and four times as Foreign Minister. I take pride in being one of the world leaders who have been most vigorously committed to the APEC. I have conveyed the message that the most significant aspect of the APEC is close dialogue with the business community and that we should put forward policies incorporating business needs.

The Government of Japan has reflected the voice of the business community and strengthened collaboration with regional partners under the spirit of ‘co-creation.’ Japan has been making efforts mainly at green transformation, which achieves both decarbonization and growth, and digital transformation, which realizes inclusive growth with the utilization of artificial intelligence (AI) and other technologies.

The ABAC’s creative and productive recommendations offer great value in working on these challenges.

I understand that this ABAC meeting in Tokyo serves as an important opportunity to compile recommendations for the summit meeting this November. The international community is at a turning point in history. It is exactly at this time that the role of the ABAC, the only advisory body to the APEC leaders, is growing.

I pledge to make active contributions, so that the ABAC members and the APEC leaders can hold fruitful dialogue in November’s summit meeting.

Let me conclude my remarks by wishing all the participants a comfortable stay in Japan and further success and expressing my appreciation to all those involved in the preparations for the meeting in Tokyo.”