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Prime Minister Shinzo Abe attended the ASEAN-Japan Ministerial Policy Meeting on Cyber Security Cooperation held in Tokyo.

The Prime Minister said in his address,

"I would like to express my gratitude to all of the ministers, vice-ministers, and high-level government officials participating in this ASEAN-Japan Ministerial Policy Meeting on Cyber Security Cooperation. I also want to express my gratitude to the ASEAN Secretariat and relevant parties from each country who offered immense cooperation toward the holding of this meeting.
Japan and ASEAN have built a close cooperative relationship over many years for the peace and stability, as well as the development and prosperity, of Asia. This year commemorates the 40th Year of ASEAN-Japan Friendship and Cooperation, and there are exchange programs taking place in a wide range of fields, including politics, the economy, culture, and person-to-person exchange.
After I assumed the position of Prime Minister in December of last year, I started my overseas visits first with ASEAN. In nine months, I have visited ASEAN three times. I believe this demonstrates how extremely important I think our relationship with the people of ASEAN is. During my visits, I have communicated the message that Japan would work together with ASEAN as its equal partner in order to make the relationship with Japan an even closer one.
In cyberspace right now, global economic activity is occurring with no thought to national borders. The presence of cyberspace as infrastructure supporting society is increasing on a daily basis. On the other hand, compared to eight years ago, when, as Chief Cabinet Secretary, I was the minister in charge of cyber security policy, the threats in globalized cyberspace are becoming more complex and serious.
Japan, as a leading country in the field of ICT, has been pushing ahead of the world to take on the various, serious issues of cybersecurity. I hope that the wealth of knowledge that we have gained in that process can be shared overseas and that people will actively make use of it.
Cybersecurity is an issue of the utmost importance that we must not wait to act upon. In other words, I strongly feel the need for each country to join together, collaborate, and work on this issue. I believe that Japan and the countries of ASEAN should ensure the free flow of information, and at the same time, we should pool our efforts, and work together toward creating a safe and vibrant cyberspace structure.
I feel that it is extremely significant that this kind of meeting has been held in Japan at this time. Through constructive dialogue with everyone, I have high hopes that we will produce major outcomes leading to peace and prosperity in the region. I hope to have a common recognition at the summit level of the outcomes of this meeting at the Japan-ASEAN Commemorative Summit to be held in Tokyo in December of this year.
I would like to close by hoping that this meeting will be a success and that Japan and each of the ASEAN countries will develop even closer relations."