On Wednesday, June 6, from 5:30 p.m. for about 25 minutes, Mr. Yoshihiko Noda, Prime Minister of Japan, held a Summit Meeting with H.E. Mr. Serzh Sargsyan, President of the Republic of Armenia, who is visiting Japan on an official working visit.

In addition, continuing on from the meeting, the two leaders participated in a signing ceremony for the "Joint Statement on Further Deepening of Friendship and Partnership between Japan and the Republic of Armenia" and the Prime Minister hosted a working dinner. The working dinner took place in a harmonious atmosphere and was also attended by Chair of the Japan-Armenia parliamentary friendship group, Mr. Takeaki Matsumoto (Member of the House of Representatives), Acting Chair Mr. Yoshitaka Murata (Member of the House of Representatives), Director-General Mr. Takashi Tanihata (Member of the House of Representatives), and Secretary-General Mr. Hisashi Tokunaga (Member of the House of Councillors).

The overview of the meeting is as follows.

1. Overall bilateral relations
   
   (1) Prime Minister Noda welcomed President Sargsyan on his first visit to Japan and said that he hoped the visit would be an opportunity for further development in both countries given that it marked the 20th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations.
   
   (2) In response, President Sargsyan expressed gratitude for the welcome from the Japan side, and offered his condolences on the passing of His Imperial Highness Prince Tomohito of Mikasa.
   
   In addition, President Sargsyan also offered condolences on the Great East Japan Earthquake that occurred last year, explaining that he had started his trip off with a visit to the affected region and that he was confident that the region would recover in a short time. He also thanked Japan for the support received following the 1988 Armenia Earthquake.
   
   President Sargsyan also touched upon the establishment of the Embassy of the Republic of Armenia in Tokyo two years ago, expressing the hope that a Japanese embassy would also be established in Armenia in order to develop further bilateral relations.
   
   
2. Cooperation for Disaster Prevention
   
   (1) Prime Minister Noda pointed out the importance of disaster prevention measures for Japan and Armenia given that both countries were prone to earthquakes. He welcomed the release of the Interim Report on "Seismic Risk Assessment and Risk Management Planning Project" in the Republic of Armenia by the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA), saying that Japan would continue to support disaster countermeasures in the country. He also stated the resolve of Japan to share the knowledge and lessons learned from the Tokyo Electric Power Company Fukushima Nuclear Power Station accident with the international community, inviting Armenia to participate in the Fukushima Ministerial Conference on Nuclear Safety to be held in December of this year.
   
   (2) In response, President Sargsyan said there were various problems with nuclear power station in Armenia from a safety perspective, and continued that since there was a need to solve these issues, he hoped to learn from Japan and was pleased to hear the proposals of the Japanese side on how the two countries could advance cooperation in the field of disaster prevention. He stated that Armenia would certainly be participating in the Fukushima Ministerial Conference on Nuclear Safety.
   
   
3. Economic Cooperation
   
   (1) Prime Minister Noda said that Japan would continue the support it had been offering Armenia for the development of its market economy for 20 years. He expressed his expectations for great progress in the promotion of the region and the industries in Armenia through technical cooperation under the currently underway Development Project of Brands and Local Products.
   
   (2) In response, President Sargsyan commented that the close to US$500 million donated by Japan to Armenia since its independence had played a major role in the country's development, and expressed his gratitude for this. In particular, he communicated the strong gratitude of Armenia for the construction of the Yerevan Combined Cycle Co-Generation Power Plant and said that he also wanted to advance cooperation in the fields of energy, agriculture, and small- and medium-sized enterprise promotion, in addition to disaster cooperation. He expressed the hope that Japanese companies would continue to advance to Armenia.
   
   
4. International affairs
   
   (1) Prime Minister Noda brought up the human rights issues in North Korea and provocative acts such as the launch of missiles and nuclear testing, stressed the importance of resolving the abduction issue, and sought the understanding and cooperation of the Armenian side on these problems. In response, President Sargsyan offered support for the position of Japan toward the securing of regional peace and security.
   
   (2) President Sargsyan explained the situation in the Caucasus region. Prime Minister Noda stated his expectations for the continuation of cooperation toward a peaceful solution of the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict through dialogue, and said that Japan wished to continue to offer cooperation to that end.