Japan-Samoa Relations
Japan-Samoa Summit Meeting
(Photo: Cabinet Public Relations Office)
(Photo: Cabinet Public Relations Office)
On May 22, commencing at 5:55 p.m. for approximately 25 minutes, Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, the Prime Minister, held a summit meeting with the Hon. Tuilaepa Sailele Malielegaoi, Prime Minister of the Independent State of Samoa, who is visiting Iwaki City, Fukushima Prefecture to attend the 7th Pacific Islands Leaders Meeting (PALM 7). The outline of the meeting is as follows.
1. Prime Minister Abe expressed his respect and appreciation to Prime Minister Tuilaepa for attending all of the PALMs held to date, and also stated that he would like to work together for the success of PALM7, this time being held in a disaster-affected area, and to build a new partnership between Japan and the Pacific Island countries. Prime Minister Abe also expressed anew his gratitude for the support extended by Samoa at the time of the Great East Japan Earthquake.
2. In response, Prime Minister Tuilaepa told that he was pleased to attend PALM seven times in a row, and expressed his gratitude for the hospitality extended by people of Iwaki City. Prime Minister Tuilaepa also stated that Samoa places an emphasis on cooperation with Japan in the field of disaster risk reduction, and in this context, highly appreciated that PALM7 was held in Iwaki City, a disaster-affected area.
3. Prime Minister Abe conveyed the Government’s intention to provide 3.5 billion yen in funding for port development in Samoa, and to provide cooperation towards the development of a regional hub in the areas of climate change and disaster risk reduction through the Secretariat of the Pacific Regional Environment Programme (SPREP). Prime Minister Tuilaepa expressed his appreciation in return, and expressed his determination to further strengthen the cooperation with Japan on economic issues and global agendas.
4. Prime Minister Tuilaepa offered his support to Japan’s proposal to the United Nations regarding the World Tsunami Day. The two leaders also exchanged views on various issues and cooperation in the international community, including climate change and the UN Security Council reform.
(Reference) Secretariat of the Pacific Regional Environment Programme (SPREP)
SPREP is an international organization established in 1980, and is comprised of 26 countries and regions with the primary objective of promoting and supporting regional cooperation for protection of the environment in the Pacific region. The Secretariat is based in Apia, the capital of Samoa.