Prime Minister Shinzo Abe received a courtesy call from the Hon. Penny Pritzker, Secretary of Commerce of the United States of America, and members of U.S. corporations, at the Prime Minister's Office.
The Prime Minister said in his address,
“I would like to extend my welcome to the Secretary and all of those accompanying her.
I am very pleased to meet Secretary Pritzker today. My administration came to power in December two years ago. Since then, we have been leading the Japanese economy toward growth through the three arrows of Abenomics.
The most crucial point is the thorough promotion of the Growth Strategy. Within that strategy, we are exerting effort toward reform. We continue to achieve reform in a variety of fields where reform has not been achievable for many years, including agriculture, medicine, and employment. In addition, I have also just recently announced the strengthening of corporate governance.
I believe that the Japan of today is not the Japan of two years ago, so to speak, and that everyone in attendance today can feel that. I think that two years ago everyone may have had relative difficulty booking a hotel, or making reservations at a restaurant.
We will continue to make society and the economy more open. The engine of our growth is transparency and innovation. Furthermore, we will also make use of the vitality of capable women like the Secretary and the Ambassador.
In September, we held an international conference in Tokyo to promote the creation of a society in which all women shine. Many people gathered in Japan and Tokyo for this.
In addition, there is the TPP, which will open our economies. The TPP will establish a new, free economic zone in the Asia-Pacific region. A while ago, when I talked on the phone with President Obama, we shared the view that we would cooperate toward the early settlement of the TPP.
I want to further strengthen economic relations with our ally, the United States. I have high expectations that this visit by the Secretary and all of you will help to drive this.
Thank you very much.”