Thursday, September 25, 2008
The Prime Minister Meets with the Secretary-General of the United Nations
Photograph of the Prime Minister meeting with the Secretary-General of the United Nations
The Secretary-General expressed his appreciation to Prime Minister Aso for the way he exerted political leadership to visit the United Nations in such a swift manner after assuming the post of Prime Minister. He also stated that he held in high regard the production of significant results that have stemmed from Japan's activities in international fora, including those at the United Nations and as the Chair of the G8 and a Co-host of the Tokyo International Conference on African Development (TICAD). On the United Nations in particular, the Secretary-General expressed his strong appreciation to Japan for not only being the second largest financial contributor to the United Nations but also for playing extremely positive roles in various forms.
Prime Minister Aso said, "This is the first time in three years that a Prime Minister of Japan has attended the General Assembly of the United Nations, due to domestic affairs holding sway in recent years. I myself firmly believed that I should attend it, and therefore I came today." The Prime Minister furthermore expressed his expectation for the United Nations to develop as a stable and powerful organization, and stated that Japan would make as great a contribution as possible to that end.
Referring to Japan's active roles in recent years in the area of development issue, the Secretary-General stated that he in particular evaluates highly the commitment and leadership shown by Japan at TICAD, and indicated his expectation for Japan to continue to make active contributions in the area of development. In relation to that, the Secretary-General expressed his concern over Japan's Official Development Assistance (ODA), which has decreased in recent years, indicating his wish for it to rise.
The Secretary-General stated that he feels happy that he and Prime Minister Aso maintain friendly and cooperative relations after overcoming various difficult issues that they faced during the period in which the Secretary-General and Prime Minister Aso served as the foreign ministers of the Republic of Korea and Japan, respectively. He also said that he is encouraged by the fact that someone with whom he has such friendly relations has become the Prime Minister of Japan. Prime Minister Aso then recalled their last meeting, which took place in Pusan.
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