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[Provisional Translation]

Prime Minister Shinzo Abe held the fifth meeting of the Headquarters for the Promotion of the Tokyo Olympic and Paralympic Games at the Prime Minister’s Office.

At the meeting, there were reports on “Government initiatives toward the 2020 Tokyo Olympic and Paralympic Games,” “partial amendments to the plan to open a liaison meeting for relevant ministries and agencies related to the host town of the 2020 Tokyo Olympic and Paralympic Games,” and “the state of preparations for Rugby World Cup 2019.”

Based on the discussion, the Prime Minister said,

“Last month, the Rio de Janeiro Games drew to a close, with our Japanese athletes putting in strong performances. Seeing the athletes work so hard in the limelight while carrying everyone’s expectations on their backs made me again feel the power of sport to invigorate people and society.

Next up is the Tokyo Olympic and Paralympic Games. I myself was able to firmly receive the baton passed to me from Brazil. The Government has moved ahead with the necessary preparations based on our basic policy since last November, and in order to make the Tokyo Games the world’s best, we must accelerate those preparations.

In the midst of the tragic terrorist incidents occurring in places around the world, the Government as a whole must ensure utmost preparation of counterterrorism measures and cyber security measures in order to ensure the safety and security of the athletes, spectators, and Japanese public.

With regard to the Paralympic Games in 2020, we will aim to achieve the best ever Games and use the impetus of these Games to create a society of coexistence through the implementation of universal design and barrier-free efforts.

Furthermore, the Olympic and Paralympic Games will serve as ‘Recovery Olympics’ and be an impetus for the vitalization of the regions. We will work to spread the impact of the Games to every corner of the country through efforts such as promoting the diverse charms of Japanese culture among domestic and international audiences.

We must also thoroughly advance preparations for the Rugby World Cup 2019.

In order to ensure that these are Games that the public will celebrate, we must carry out decision making through an open process. At the same time, it is essential that we effectively and efficiently make use of our limited budget and time, through efforts such as controlling costs wherever possible.

I want all of members of this Headquarters to work even more closely with the host city of Tokyo and other relevant organizations to accelerate preparations based on the basic policy. Please exert even more effort for the success of the Games.”