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On October 8, 2018, Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and Mrs. Abe hosted a welcome dinner banquet at the Prime Minister’s Official Residence, inviting people involved with the Tenth Mekong-Japan Summit Meeting.
 
The Prime Minister said in his address,
 
“I would like to express my heartfelt gratitude to Samdech Akka Moha Sena Padei Techo Hun Sen, Prime Minister of the Kingdom of Cambodia, H.E. Dr. Thongloun Sisoulith, Prime Minister of the Lao People’s Democratic Republic, H.E. Ms. Aung San Suu Kyi, State Counsellor of the Republic of the Union of Myanmar, H.E. General Prayut Chan-o-cha, Prime Minister of the Kingdom of Thailand, and H.E. Mr. Nguyen Xuan Phuc, Prime Minister of the Socialist Republic of Viet Nam, as well as the representatives of each country, for coming all the way to Tokyo to attend the Mekong-Japan Summit Meeting.
 
This is the tenth Mekong-Japan Summit Meeting to be held, and I am very pleased to celebrate this monumental milestone with all of you. As our work for tomorrow is scheduled to start at the beginning of the morning and occupy the entire time until noon, I hope that you will relax and enjoy the Japanese cuisine and sake prepared for you this evening.
 
Tonight, we have invited the top leaders who tirelessly work to strengthen our relationship between Japan and the Mekong region in a wide range of fields including politics, economics, and culture to the dinner banquet. Taking this opportunity, I would like to express my sincere gratitude to all of you, and I am also looking forward to your continued cooperation toward the further development of this relationship.
 
In closing, I would like to offer a toast to the good health of all of you, and to further prosperity of the Mekong region as well as further development of our cooperation between Japan and the Mekong region. Cheers!”