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[Provisional Translation]

On October 22 (local time), Prime Minister Shinzo Abe visited Ashgabat in Turkmenistan.

The following day, October 23 (local time), Prime Minister Abe attended a welcome ceremony at the Presidential Palace, and then held talks with H.E. Mr. Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov, President of Turkmenistan . After the meeting, both leaders held a signing ceremony and a joint press announcement.

In the afternoon, Prime Minister Abe offered flowers and planted a tree at the Monument of Independence. Afterwards, he went to the Presidential Racetrack , where he viewed Akhal-Teke horses, which are also known as “golden horses.”

Following that, the Prime Minister attended a meeting with a private-sector mission and a business forum, and then attended a ceremony for the conferment of an emeritus professorship at the Turkmen State University named after Magtymguly.

The Prime Minister said in his address at the business forum,

“I am extremely pleased that this Japan-Turkmenistan Business Forum is being attended by top members of leading Japanese businesses and organizations, and is being held with such grandeur.

My visit is the first ever visit by a Japanese Prime Minister to Turkmenistan. I have been personally looking forward to this tour of Central Asia, and I have now been able to start it in Turkmenistan with President Berdimuhamedov.

Last night I saw the dazzling lights of Ashgabat when I arrived. Today I have had the opportunity to experience Turkmen culture. I have been able to see for myself the bountiful vitality of this region, as well as its greatly cherished traditions.

In the past, Japan was once referred to as ‘Zipangu, the land of gold.’ That said, Japan only has quite meager natural resources. We have had to use these very efficiently, and have worked hard to create high-quality products and to refine our technologies.

As I see it today, the expression ‘the land of gold’ is more appropriate for Turkmenistan. This is a country with abundant resources, including gas fields containing the world’s largest reserves of gas. It is a country in which the people lead prosperous lives under the leadership of the President.

I believe it makes great sense for our two ‘lands of gold’ to deepen mutually complementary and beneficial cooperation.

In addition to exporting natural resources, Turkmenistan is currently aiming to become an economy that can offer even higher added value, and is interested in high-quality infrastructure. Japan can play a role in this regard. I am convinced that everyone participating in this business forum today is truly standing at the front lines of our cooperative activities.

During the summit meeting this morning, there was ample discussion on matters such as how the Japanese public and private sector can work together to enhance industry in Turkmenistan, as well as plans to advance cooperation in fields such as human resources development.

I understand that on the occasion of this visit, we will be able to sign documents related to various projects valued at a total of more than US$18 billion. In other words, we will see the expansion of 2.2 trillion yen worth of business opportunities. I would like to express my gratitude to everyone attending this business forum from both countries for all of your hard work.

I hope that we will see even more Japanese people coming all the way from Japan to Turkmenistan in order to make these various projects a reality, and also to promote cooperation and exchange between our countries.

I would like to take this opportunity to request that President Berdimuhamedov make it possible for these Japanese citizens to become more familiar with Turkmenistan, stay here with peace of mind, and steadily produce results from their cooperative activities.

Furthermore, a moment ago, the President told me that he expected there would be various requests made from the business world. He promised me that as President, he would earnestly address these requests, and fulfil them. In other words, he promised that special efforts would be made to create a favorable business environment here for Japanese business people.

I hope that my visit and the holding of this business forum will lead to a boom in Japan-Turkmenistan economic exchanges and greatly contribute to the development of both our countries.

In closing today, I would like to express my hope for the further deepening of the partnership between our countries and to wish you all good health.”