Prime Minister Naoto Kan held the first Final Draft Preparation Meeting of the Headquarters of the Government and Ruling Parties for Social Security Reform at the Prime Minister's Office.

The Prime Minister said in his opening address, "This reform has been the focus of attention not only within Japan but also internationally across various fields, including the markets.
Japan has been facing the crises of economic stagnation, social impasse, and financial deterioration even before the earthquake. In order to overcome these crises, we must address the issue of social security by all means.
This issue should be addressed in tandem with the major issues of recovery and reconstruction from the earthquake and putting an end to the nuclear incident. I sincerely ask for your efforts toward producing a final draft within this Council."