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[Provisional Translation]

On November 21 (local time), Prime Minister Shinzo Abe visited Buenos Aires in the Argentine Republic.

Prime Minister Abe attended an exchange with Argentinians of Japanese descent, and a wreath-laying ceremony. After this, the Prime Minister had a meeting with H.E. Mr. Mauricio Macri, President of the Argentine Republic, and held a joint press announcement. Following that, the Prime Minister attended a luncheon hosted by President Macri.

Afterwards, Prime Minister Abe attended the Japan-Argentine Economic Forum and then held a press conference.

In his address at the luncheon hosted by President Macri, the Prime Minister said,

“I would like to express my thanks to President Macri for his warm hospitality. Moreover, it is a truly great honor to have been awarded the Orden del Libertador San Martin Grado Gran Cruz.

For Japan and Argentina, 65,000 Argentinians of Japanese descent serve as a bridge between our two nations, enabling us to build our traditional friendly relationship. And today, under the strong leadership of President Macri, exchanges between our leaders and government ministers are expanding. Our bilateral relationship is approaching a time of further deepening.

Argentina is also a special country for me personally. The first Prime Minister of Japan to visit Argentina was my grandfather, Nobusuke Kishi. I am delighted that now, 57 years later, I, his grandson, am able to visit your country.

However, I feel that the fact that no Prime Minister of Japan has visited beautiful, wonderful Argentina for 57 years reflects a mistake in Japan’s foreign policy, considering Argentina’s importance to Japan and Argentina’s position in South America. I hope that we will develop a relationship from now on in which I, as well as Japan’s future Prime Ministers, visit Argentina frequently, and that the Presidents of Argentina also visit Japan.

The Government of Japan and Japanese companies highly evaluate Argentina’s future potential. I would like us to combine our strengths so that the public and private sectors work as one in order to further strengthen our bilateral economic relationship.

Argentina is a highly meaningful country for me in another sense, since it is where the decision to host the 2020 Olympic and Paralympic Games in Tokyo was made. Japan considers the promotion of sports exchanges between Japan and countries with which we have a friendly relationship important. I am pleased that lively cooperative exchanges are taking place between sports groups of Japan and Argentina.

Many opportunities for the further strengthening of the relationship between Japan and Argentina are planned. The year 2018 will mark the 120th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between Japan and Argentina. In the same year, the G20 Summit and the Youth Olympic Games are planned to be held in Argentina. In 2020, the Tokyo Olympic and Paralympic Games will be held. I hope you will all come to Tokyo to attend the Games. In the soccer event, I hope that Japan and Argentina will compete against each other in the final. We will strive to strengthen the Japan team by then.

I would now like to raise a toast to the further enhancement of our bilateral network of friendly relations, and to the everlasting friendship between Japan and Argentina.”