On May 24, commencing at 4:05 p.m., Prime Minister Yoshihiko Noda held summit meetings with H.E. Mr. Christopher Loeak, President of the Republic of the Marshall Islands, H.E. Mr. Sprent Arumogo Dabwido, President of the Republic of Nauru, and the Hon. Meltek Sato Kilman Livtunvanu, Prime Minister of the Republic of Vanuatu, respectively. The leaders were in Japan for the 6th Pacific Islands Leaders Meeting (PALM 6). An overview of the meetings is as follows. In each of the meetings, Prime Minister Noda expressed his gratitude for the support and sympathy Japan received at the time of the Great East Japan Earthquake.

1. H.E. Mr. Christopher Loeak, President of the Republic of the Marshall Islands (4:05-4:17 p.m.)
   
   (1) At the start of the meeting, Prime Minister Noda welcomed President Loeak warmly to Japan, and said he hoped to further strengthen friendly relations between Japan and the Marshall Islands through this meeting and PALM 6.
   
   (2) President Loeak said he was sincerely grateful for being invited to PALM 6 and for the cordial hospitality he had received since arriving in Japan. President Loeak noted that the Marshall Islands had received a great deal of support from Japan thus far, and said his country wanted to strengthen its cooperation with Japan, including in areas such as the environment and human rights, not only bilaterally but in the international arena as well.
   
   (3) Prime Minister Noda said he was delighted that the exchange of notes regarding the supply of vessels to improve domestic shipping services in the Marshall Islands were signed on the previous day, and that he hoped projects such as this would contribute to the further development of the Marshall Islands. Additionally, he expressed gratitude for the cooperation of the Marshall Islands in the international arena, and said he wanted to continue to cooperate closely in addressing the challenges facing regional communities and the international community, including the climate change issue.
   
   
2. H.E. Mr. Sprent Arumogo Dabwido, President of the Republic of Nauru (4:20-4:27 p.m.)
   
   (1) At the start of the meeting, Prime Minister Noda welcomed President Dabwido warmly to Japan, and said he hoped to further strengthen friendly relations between Japan and Nauru through this meeting and PALM 6. In response, President Dabwido expressed his gratitude for being invited to PALM 6 and for the kind treatment he had received since arriving in Japan.
   
   (2) The two leaders exchanged views on the various difficulties and challenges toward development that Nauru faced, and shared the view that they would strengthen bilateral relations. They also shared the view that they would further strengthen cooperation in the international arena, with Prime Minister Noda saying that he wanted to continue to cooperate closely in addressing the challenges facing regional communities and the international community, including the climate change issue.
   
   
   
3. Hon. Meltek Sato Kilman Livtunvanu, Prime Minister of the Republic of Vanuatu (4:30-4:42 p.m.)
   
   (1) Prime Minister Noda gave a sincere welcome to Prime Minister Kilman upon his visit to Japan from Vanuatu, which possesses abundant charm as a tourist destination. He said that he hoped to further strengthen friendly relations between the two countries. In response, Prime Minister Kilman expressed gratitude for the invitation to PALM 6, and noted that Japan's presence in the Pacific region was important in the region He also said that face-to-face to exchange of views was valuable, and expressed gratitude for the support Japan had extended to Vanuatu and the Pacific Island countries.
   
   (2) Prime Minister Noda said he was delighted that the exchange of notes regarding an international wharf development, Vanuatu's first yen-loan-financed project, had been signed on the previous day, and that he hoped the project and similar infrastructure-related projects would contribute to the development of Vanuatu. Prime Minister Kilman noted that the project was one part of a large quantity of support Japan provided to Vanuatu, and expressed his gratitude for support for the wharf development and a hospital redevelopment project.
   
   (3) The two leaders shared the view that they would strengthen cooperation in the international arena, and that they would continue to cooperate closely toward resolving the challenges facing regional communities and the international community, including the climate change issue.
   
   (4) At the end of the meeting, Prime Minister Noda said he felt a sense of affinity with Prime Minister Kilman because they were born in the same year, to which Prime Minister Kilman said that 1957 was a good year.