Minister to represent government at Nikkei Forum and PALM Summit in Japan

Civil Defence, Youth and Associate Education Minister Nikki Kaye will travel to Japan tomorrow, to represent the government at the 2015 Nikkei Forum and the seventh Pacific Alliance Leaders Meeting (PALM).

“The Nikkei Forum is a high-level annual meeting hosted by Nikkei Inc, Japan’s largest media group,” says Ms Kaye.

“The forum brings together political leaders and top business executives from Asia to discuss the outlook for the region, and the impact of developments in Asia for the global economy.

“The theme of this year’s forum is innovation in technology, management, organisational structure and business models, and I will deliver a speech on building better connections between Asia and the Pacific.

“PALM is a summit hosted every three years by the Japanese government, to facilitate cooperative relationships between Japan and the Pacific Islands Forum.

“The summit will be hosted by Japanese Prime Minister Abe, and will result in a leaders’ declaration setting out shared views on Pacific issues, including disaster risk reduction, climate change, sustainable development and maritime and fisheries issues.

“While in Japan, I will also attend a number of meetings and visits related to my portfolio responsibilities.

“Japan has led the world in areas of earthquake preparedness, and I’m looking forward to meeting with my counterpart, Eriko Yamatani, Japan’s Minister of State for Disaster Management.

“Another highlight will be a visit to Yushima Primary School in Tokyo, where the students will connect online with students at Tui Glen School in Lower Hutt, New Zealand, to practice a disaster preparedness drill together.

“I will also be visiting Tokyo’s Metropolitan Government Disaster Prevention Centre, a state-of-the-art disaster prevention and response facility, as well as the coastal town of Shichigahama, which was severely impacted by the 2011 earthquake and tsunami which affected the Tohoku region.

“This is an opportunity to better understand Japan’s preparation for and response to disasters, and how this could be applied to New Zealand.

“My other visits will be aimed at strengthening Japan’s and New Zealand’s ties in areas such as education and youth development .

“A number of New Zealanders awarded Prime Minister’s Scholarships for Asia study in Japanese institutions each year. New Zealand is also a popular destination for Japanese students studying abroad, and we want to encourage this trend.

“Both our countries are also committed to providing opportunities such as youth exchanges, so our young people can expand their cultural understanding and develop skills to help them succeed in today’s fast-changing and increasingly interconnected world.”