[Provisional Translation]

Prime Minister Shinzo Abe held the seventh meeting of the International Finance and Economic Assessment Council at the Prime Minister's Office.

At the meeting, an exchange of views with Professor Christina Romer and Professor David Romer, both of the University of California, Berkeley, took place.

The Prime Minister said in his opening address,

“I would like to make some remarks on the occasion of the holding of the seventh meeting of the International Finance and Economic Assessment Council.

Today we are joined by Professor Christina Romer of the University of California, Berkeley, former Chairperson of the Council of Economic Advisers for the Obama administration, and Professor David Romer, of the same university, who is a world-renowned economist in the fields of macroeconomics and finance. Please share your views on the global economy with us.

I would like to express my heartfelt gratitude to both of you for taking time out of your busy schedules to attend today’s meeting.

It is now only one more week until the start of the Ise-Shima Summit. With the background of the increasing downside risks and vulnerabilities in the global economy, in order for the G7 to lead and act as drivers for sustainable and robust global economic growth, I would like us to issue a clear and powerful message at the Summit.

Today marks the final meeting of this Council, and we are fortunate to have as our guest experts two individuals who are befit the conclusion of these discussions.”