Prime Minister Shinzo Abe held the seventh meeting of the Strategic Headquarters for Space Development at the Prime Minister's Office.

Discussion took place on the Basic Plan for Space Policy (draft) and other matters.

The Prime Minister said in his opening address,

"Space not only gives dream and hope to the people, but also is directly related to the life of people.
Considering the international situation in which Japan finds itself and the experiences of the Great East Japan Earthquake, it is an urgent issue to strengthen security and disaster prevention measures through the utilization of space.
Also, considering the cutting-edge nature and the broad base of the relevant industries of space technologies, it should be positioned as an engine of economic growth in Japan.
Utilization of space is also an arena of competition where different countries are competing with one another. Japan will lag behind the world unless the entire government puts its united efforts in this area as a national strategy.
The Basic Plan for Space Policy being discussed today is the first touchstone under the new system in which the control tower for space policy is being established. I would like to ask the relevant Cabinet members to put efforts into promoting space policy based on the Basic Plan that is being decided today and my instructions which I have handed out, without being constrained by the interests of the bureaucracy."