[Provisional Translation]

On Sunday, July 8, from 11:55 a.m. for approximately 25 minutes, Mr. Yoshihiko Noda, Prime Minister of Japan, received a courtesy call from Mr. Ban Ki-moon, Secretary-General of the United Nations (UN). An overview of the meeting is as follows.

1. At the beginning of the meeting, Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon stated that he was pleased to have been able to visit Japan at the early stage of his second term. He also expressed his appreciation for the initiative taken by the Government of Japan to hold the Tokyo Conference on Afghanistan. Moreover, Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon mentioned the dispatch of engineering units of the Self-Defense Forces to South Sudan and Haiti, and stated that Japan’s significant contribution not only to Afghanistan but to developing countries, including African nations, even after the Great East Japan Earthquake, communicated a proactive message from Japan to the international community.
   
   
2. Prime Minister Noda stated that in terms of Afghanistan, the Government of Japan would continue its support and wished to closely cooperate with the UN, which would play a more important role in the country after the transition.
   
   
3. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon gave an explanation of the current situation in Syria. In response, Prime Minister Noda stated that he was concerned about the situation. Regarding North Korean issues, Prime Minister Noda stated that it would be important for the international community to show a firm stance in a unified manner to prevent further provocative actions by North Korea. He added that concerning the abduction cases of Japanese nationals, he would like to cooperate with the UN, including in relation to UN resolutions on the situation of human rights in the country. Furthermore, Prime Minister Noda expressed his respect for the UN management reforms led by Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon and stated that he hoped to coordinate with Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon on the reform of the UN Security Council, with flexibility aiming at achieving a realistic reform.
   
   
4. Lastly, Secretary-General Ban invited Prime Minister Noda to the UN General Assembly to be held in September. Prime Minister Noda responded that he would consider it.