1. The Reconstruction Process Enters Full Swing

2. PM Noda and FM Gemba Attend the 66th Session of the UN General Assembly

- PM Noda’s address to the General Assembly

- Third Ministerial Meeting of the Non-Proliferation and Disarmament Initiative (NPDI)

- G8 Foreign Ministers Meeting (ministerial follow-up meeting on the Deauville Partnership)

- Ministerial-level side event on the MDGs

3. IAEA General Conference

2. Prime Minister Noda and Foreign Minister Gemba Attend the 66th Session of the United Nations General Assembly

G8 Foreign Ministers Meeting (ministerial follow-up meeting on the Deauville Partnership):

Announcing the enhancement of support for the efforts of countries in the Middle East and North Africa, economic exchanges, and people-to-people exchanges

On September 20, foreign ministers met to follow up on the G8 Deauville Summit held in May 2011. At the meeting, representatives of not only the G8 countries but also the Middle East and North Africa, and relevant international organizations discussed the Deauville Partnership to support the historic changes occurring in the Middle East and North Africa. Tunisia, Egypt, Morocco, Jordan, and Libya, which have benefited from this partnership, explained the numerous challenges they face and their efforts to reform their economies and societies and expressed their hope for support from the international community. In response, participants discussed the matter and agreed that related countries and organizations would join forces to improve governance-related issues such as the rule of law and formation of civil society on the political side and to promote regional integration.

Minister for Foreign Affairs Gemba pointed out that it was important for the international community, including the G8, to trust the desire and self-help efforts of countries in the Middle East and North Africa towards transition and reform, and to fully support these efforts. In addition, Foreign Minister Gemba expressed support for the self-help efforts of countries in the Middle East and North Africa through establishment of fair political process and government, human resource development that aides economic recovery and stability of each country, and job creation and industrial development and to make the utmost efforts to enhance economic exchanges, including through the Japan-Arab Economic Forum as well as people-to-people exchanges such as the Future Dialogue.

At the end of the meeting, the Deauville Partnership Foreign Ministers issued a Communiqué.