[Provisional Translation]

Prime Minister Shinzo Abe received a courtesy call from youth representatives participating in the Ship for Southeast Asian Youth Program (SSEAYP) at the Prime Minister's Office.

The Prime Minister said in his address,

“I sincerely welcome all the representatives of the countries participating in the 42nd Ship for Southeast Asian Youth Program (SSEAYP) to Japan.

Since I became Prime Minister, I have visited all 10 of your home countries. In doing so, I enjoyed warm hospitality in all the places I visited, and gained a genuine sense that the ASEAN countries and Japan share the respect for the rule of law, which is an important basic principle.

In the latter half of this month, the Japan-ASEAN Summit will take place in Malaysia. I intend to hold open discussions with the leaders of each country towards further strengthening the partnerships between Japan and ASEAN in a wide range of fields.

Tomorrow you will all depart on your journey across the seas that link Japan with Southeast Asia. On this voyage, you will meet fellow passengers with different histories, cultures, religious beliefs, and values. As well as learning from and talking with each other, and acknowledging the magnificence of each of the partner countries, I want you to be proud of the countries where you were born, and to forge bonds with each other as fellow human beings.

Thus far, a total of over 10,000 youths have participated in the previous 41 SSEAYPs, and they are currently working hard in their respective fields. It is my hope that you will also make the most of this precious experience, and become active in your own countries, as human resources contributing to the future of Asia. Moreover, I hope that you will cherish the precious friendships forged on the Ship for Youth for many years to come.”