Prime Minister Shinzo Abe attended the second meeting in FY2013 of the Forum for Consultations between the National and Regional Governments at the Prime Minister's Office.

During the meeting, discussion took place on the 2020 Tokyo Olympic and Paralympic Games, the FY2014 budget request and other matters, the promotion of decentralization reform, and social security system reform.

The Prime Minister said in his opening address,

"Today's meeting is the second meeting of the Forum in FY2013. For the key policy issues of concern to the regions, I believe we must promote measures in partnership with regional governments. I intend to continue to employ this 'Forum for Consultations between the National and Regional Governments,' and I ask for your cooperation.
There will be no vitalization of Japan without the vitalization of regional communities. In order to promote the creation of highly attractive communities by utilizing the ideas and ingenuity of the regions themselves, my Cabinet will steadily realize the remaining item in the series of decentralization reforms, which is the 'transition of authority from the national government to local governments, and other matters.'
Furthermore, the selection of Tokyo as the host city of the 2020 Olympic and Paralympic Games is a great opportunity for the revitalization of Japan. With everyone's cooperation, we will make a nationwide effort to make the Games a success.
Recently, I made the decision to raise the consumption tax rate from five percent to eight percent. This was to cope with the matter of utmost urgency of fully passing on the social security system to future generations. To do this, there is no other path but to simultaneously achieve 'economic revitalization' and 'fiscal soundness' across the national and local governments based on new economic measures. This is the only path. With this conviction, I will move decisively to achieve both of these objectives.
Today, I look forward to receiving frank opinions from the perspectives of local governments regarding the four related themes, and to fruitful consultations. Thank you for your cooperation."