Prime Minister Shinzo Abe attended the 83rd General Meeting of the Japan Association of City Mayors held in Tokyo.

The Prime Minister said in his address,

"I would like to once again express my appreciation to all of the city mayors for making arduous efforts every day at the front line of municipalities to develop your communities and improve the welfare of the residents, and for continuing to support in various ways the reconstruction of the areas affected by the Great East Japan Earthquake. 
Since the inauguration of the Abe Cabinet, I have made every effort to bring back vitality to Japan, as well as to restore a Japanese society in which young people can have hope in the future. Our goals in creating a strong economy are to create a country in which all Japanese people can feel a sense of fulfillment and a feeling of joy with having been born in Japan, and can take pride in the country. To this end, I have set out three prongs aimed at rebuilding the Japanese economy － namely, monetary policy, fiscal policy, and growth strategy. We are now working on the third prong, the 'growth strategy.' A key factor in this respect is that 'There will be no vitalization of Japan without the vitalization of regional communities.' The growth strategy must be designed to contribute to the development of local communities. To create highly attractive communities, it is critically important that regions create communities with distinctive traits based on their own ideas, utilizing the original ingenuity of each region. Ever since I took office as Prime Minister, I have visited many places in the regions and observed various initiatives. These visits have made me realize that goals can be accomplished if you 'put your mind to it,' and have reinforced for me the importance of pooling wisdom and embarking on challenges. The Abe administration will keep on supporting these proactive community-based initiatives. We will establish a growth strategy which will carry out seamless economic measures, fully support efforts to generate vitality in local communities, and contribute to the revitalization of local economies. With regard to decentralization reform, Government-wide efforts will be made to transfer authority and advance regulatory reform, all while fully bearing in mind the opinions of the regions.
At the recent meeting of the Headquarters for Promoting Decentralization Reform, I once again instructed relevant ministers to promote decentralization reform by exercising leadership in the fields they have jurisdiction over. I hope you will continue to take the lead in your communities and exert your abilities to the fullest. In addition, I would once again like to ask for your continued support for the areas affected by the Great East Japan Earthquake and for your understanding and cooperation on Government policies."