Remarks by Prime Minister Kishida at the Japan-Paraguay Business Forum and Ceremony Announcing the Signing of Memorandums of Cooperation

[Provisional translation]

Your Excellency President Peña,
Your Excellency Mr. Giménez, Minister of Industry and Commerce,
Mr. Toyotoshi, President of the Japanese Chamber of Commerce and Industry in Paraguay,
Distinguished attendees, and
Distinguished representatives of Japanese companies,
 
Good evening to you all. I would like to express my wholehearted appreciation for the many efforts you have made to strengthen economic relations between Japan and Paraguay through the wide range of your day-to-day business operations.
 
With its abundant resources and its membership in the Southern Common Market of MERCOSUR, Paraguay boasts an attractive investment climate for Japanese businesses. I asked representatives of Japanese companies to accompany me on this visit in order to realize that for themselves, and I hear that a significant amount of tangible results have already emerged.
 
Through the summit meeting I just held with President Peña, I believe firmly that under the president's strong leadership, Paraguay will become an even more attractive investment destination.
 
It is truly gratifying that here in Paraguay, at present, more than 200 local Japanese companies are contributing to the strengthening of our bilateral economic ties across a wide array of fields, spanning a diverse range that includes the agriculture, manufacturing, and service industries, among others. And yet, there still seems to be ample room for even more active operations by Japanese companies based here. I have great expectations for companies from Japan and Paraguay to take today's Business Forum as an opportunity to actively liaise with each other and have that bear fruit.
 
The Government of Japan is working determinedly to advance policies that further support the vitality of the private sector, including the investment agreement currently under discussion. I intend to make Japan-Paraguay economic relations develop further, with today as the starting point.
 
I wish to end my remarks by expressing my appreciation once again to the Ministry of Industry and Commerce of Paraguay, the Japanese Chamber of Commerce and Industry in Paraguay, and everyone else involved for the tremendous efforts they made in convening this Forum.
 
Thank you very much for listening. Muchas gracias!