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On September 3, 2018, Prime Minister Shinzo Abe attended the Liaison Meeting of the Government and Ruling Parties at the Prime Minister’s Office.
 
The Prime Minister said in his opening address,
 
“With typhoon season entering into full swing, we have seen the arrival of strong typhoons and a succession of localized torrential rain. As Typhoon No. 21* is expected to make landfall tomorrow, we will continue to take all possible disaster measures. With regard to the recovery and reconstruction of the areas affected by the heavy rain in western Japan, we will continue to take steady steps to rebuild the lives of the affected people and restore ‘nariwai’ (occupations and livelihoods that sustain people’s daily lives) using the contingency fund and other resources in order to ensure that the people can return to their daily lives with peace of mind at the earliest possible date.
 
From September 10 to 13, I plan to visit Vladivostok to attend the fourth Eastern Economic Forum. A Japan-Russia summit meeting will be held on the sidelines, and arrangements are also being made for meetings with President Xi Jinping of China, Prime Minister Lee Nak-yon of the Republic of Korea, and President Battulga Khaltmaa of Mongolia. I will hold my 22nd summit meeting with President Putin, at which I am determined to move closer towards concluding a peace treaty by holding frank discussions amongst the two of us regarding matters such as joint economic activities on the Four Northern Islands and humanitarian measures for the former island residents. With regard to the Japan-Russia economic relationship, we will confirm the further progress to be made, including materializing the eight-point cooperation plan. We will also confirm that Japan and Russia would work together on urgent international affairs, including North Korean issues.
 
To achieve effective management of public records and archives across the Government, today we upgraded the position of Inspector-General for Public Records Management of the Cabinet Office to a director general-level position as Government Chief Record Officer (Government CRO) and established the Office of Public Records Management Inspection under the Inspector-General. Public records are the most fundamental infrastructure for linking citizens with the Government. Each and every government staff member will become more mindful of compliance in the management of public records. In addition, the Office of Public Records Management Inspection will fully keep track of the state of record management at each ministry and steadily implement effective checks.
 
Recently, it has come to light that many Administrative Organs of the State do not meet the employment quota for persons with disabilities. Furthermore, there is even a possibility that this situation has long been neglected. Since the Government is in a position to lead the private sector to employ and expand opportunities for persons with disabilities, such a situation shall not be tolerated. A ministerial council has been recently established so that the Government makes a concerted effort to carry out speedy reviews in earnest. A team to investigate the situation will also be established with the participation of third parties. We will set out a roadmap for swiftly meeting the employment quota, as well as carry out reviews with a sense of urgency on wide-ranging matters, including expanding opportunities for persons with disabilities, and compile a report by the end of October.                  
 
The GDP growth rate for the April-June 2018 quarter, whose first preliminary estimates were released last month, has returned to positive growth and was a record high. Economic recovery supported by domestic demand has continued, including robust increases in personal consumption and capital investment. Over the last five years and eight months, we have exerted every effort to address domestic and international issues and pressed forward with policies under the strong solidarity of the Liberal Democratic Party and Komeito. There is, however, still much work to be done. We will listen carefully and thoroughly to the voices of the people and respond to the mandate given to us by the people by advancing policies with a sense of vigilance. I ask for your continued cooperation in this endeavor.” 
 
* Typhoon Jebi