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The Parliamentary Vice-Ministers for the Reshuffled Second Abe Cabinet were determined during today’s Cabinet meeting.
Prime Minister Shinzo Abe delivered letters of assignment to the new Parliamentary Vice-Ministers who assembled at the Prime Minister’s Office. Afterwards, the Prime Minister took part in a commemorative photograph session and attended the first meeting of Parliamentary Vice-Ministers.
The Prime Minister said during the meeting,
“I would like to offer some remarks to the meeting of Parliamentary Vice-Ministers.
The Abe Cabinet has steadily implemented policies since being inaugurated as the ‘crisis breakthrough Cabinet’. We have made every effort to address various issues, such as the reconstruction after the Great East Japan Earthquake, revitalization of education, and reform of the social security system, among others. However, our reforms are still only half complete. It is also necessary for us to face new challenges and execute with greater boldness and tenacity such policies. 
The mission of the next Abe Cabinet is to, of course, accelerate the reconstruction as well as prioritize the economy and deliver a sense of the economic recovery to every corner of Japan without fail. I have appointed the new Parliamentary Vice-Ministers before us today in order to further accelerate our efforts toward the many challenging issues our country faces, including the vitalization of local economies, the creation of a society in which all women shine, a rebuilding of diplomacy and security policies, and disaster prevention, among others.
I would like each Parliamentary Vice-Ministers to thoroughly fulfill their responsibilities so that you become a driving force behind the ‘Cabinet for action and achievement we are resolved to continue to meet the public mandate’. I ask that you make appropriate relationships of trust with your subordinates in the bureaucracy, create an environment in which each ministry and agency can exercise the power it holds as much as it needs to, support the ministers and senior vice-ministers, and manage national politics.
I would like to conclude my address by stating my expectations for you to pour all of your strengths into the execution of your duties and to work as one to national politics for the people.”