Telephone Conversation between Mr. Naoto Kan, Prime Minister of Japan, and Mr. Ban Ki-Moon, Secretary-General of the United Nations

June 15, 2010
Japanese

Mr. Naoto Kan, Prime Minister of Japan, held a telephone conversation with Mr. Ban Ki-Moon, Secretary-General of the United Nations, for about 15 minutes from 4:45 p.m. on June 15 (Tue) at the request of the Secretary-General. The overview of the conversation is as follows.

Secretary-General Ban congratulated Prime Minister Kan on his appointment as Prime Minister, and Prime Minister Kan expressed his gratitude to Secretary-General Ban for offering his words of congratulations in spite of the fact that he was on a visit to Africa.
Secretary-General Ban stated that Japan’s leadership was extremely important for the international community to address various global issues through collective efforts, and that he expected Japan to play an even greater role in the United Nations. Prime Minister Kan stated that the new administration placed great importance on the United Nations. He also stated that for the peace and stability of the world, the climate change and nuclear disarmament issues were especially vital, and that he would cooperate with Secretary-General Ban on efforts to resolve them. Secretary-General Ban also touched on the importance of the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) and his regard for Japan’s efforts as a non-permanent member of the UN Security Council.
Secretary-General Ban stated that he intended to visit Japan in August to attend the Hiroshima Peace Memorial Ceremony, to which Prime Minister Kan responded that he would welcome Secretary-General Ban’s visit.
Lastly, Secretary-General Ban congratulated Japan on its victory at the World Cup the previous day, and Prime Minister Kan congratulated Secretary-General Ban on the Republic of Korea’s victory in return.

(END)