Prime Minister Shinzo Abe held the third meeting of the Advisory Panel on Reconstruction of the Legal Basis for Security at the Prime Minister's Office.

During the meeting, the members in attendance exchanged views.

The Prime Minister said in his opening address,

"Today, I hope that, building on the discussion at the previous meeting, the panel members will continue to deepen the discussion on possible courses of action Japan should take, as well as to have frank exchange of views on how the constitution should be interpreted. I would like to make a few points in general terms from the perspective as Prime Minister.
First, the Government of Japan has a responsibility to protect the lives of its people and the existence of Japan as a state.
Secondly, issues of Japan's security must be looked at from a broad perspective in the context of the developments in international law throughout the 20th century, in particular, in the context of the war renunciation trend of thought since the General Treaty for Renunciation of War as an Instrument of National Policy, which led to the establishment of the collective security framework of the United Nations. As stated in the preamble of the Constitution, Japan has considered it a security imperative to maintain the peace and security of Japan and of the world under this framework, rather than pursuing one-country pacifism.
Thirdly, in light of the severe international environment surrounding Japan, the security of Japan cannot be ensured through the efforts of Japan alone. Therefore, we committed ourselves to international cooperation and chose to conclude the Japan-U.S. alliance.
Fourthly, in order to maintain the vitality of an alliance, all the members of the alliance need to strive to make continual improvement. Under the banner of proactive contribution to peace, based on a belief in international cooperation, we must be prepared to play our part in protecting the security of Japan as well as the peace and security of the Asia-Pacific region and the world.
Fifthly, the ultimate purpose of discussing the reconstruction of the legal basis for security is to protect the lives of the Japanese people and the existence of the state, and to realize peace and stability of the international community which constitutes the foundation for protecting the lives of the people and the existence of the state. If our security policy focuses only on Japan, we cannot earn respect from the international community and lose our friends. No country can maintain its safety by itself. If we work with other countries in protecting each other's security, supporting justice, and in preserving order whenever necessary, we can better protect the lives of the people and the existence of the state and safeguard our national interests.
These are the number of points I wanted to share with you. Today, I look forward to holding another round of active discussion among the members of the Advisory Panel."