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On March 17, 2020, the Prime Minister held a press conference at the Prime Minister’s Office.
 
Regarding the G7 leaders video conference, the Prime Minister said,
“In response to the global spread of the novel coronavirus disease, we just held a G7 summit meeting via videoconferencing, likely for the first time ever.
During the meeting just now, I mainly emphasized the two points below. First of all, in order to have the very severe situation we now face return to normal and to ease the worry of people around the world, the most important thing is to develop a pharmaceutical treatment. The G7 should cooperate towards that end and bring wisdom together from around the world to accelerate the development of therapeutic medication in one push.
My other point was that, in light of concerns that the global economy will be adversely affected to an enormous degree, the G7 should work in cooperation to execute necessary and sufficient economic and fiscal policies proportionate to it. We should send out a reassuring message that the G7 will use all possible means to resolve the situation. I discussed these two points.
My remarks met with approval from the other G7 leaders and what I said will be released as part of the Leaders’ Statement.
In addition, we agreed that, as the G7 undertakes concerted actions in concrete terms going forward, with regard to the health and finance ministers’ meetings, our health ministers and also our finance ministers will coordinate closely on a regular basis.
Moreover, because this videoconference among the leaders today was so valuable, we concurred that, when necessary, we will hold this kind of meeting again in the future on a suitable occasion.
Also, as for the Olympic Games, I received the support of the G7 that we will make the Tokyo Olympic and Paralympic Games a reality in their full form, as proof that humankind will defeat the novel coronavirus.
In the battle with this coronavirus, our foe is formidable indeed. But we all shared the conviction that if the G7 unites firmly and the international community wages the battle against it together, we will absolutely be able to overcome it.”