[Title] Prime Minister TAKAICHI's Opening Remarks at the 3rd AZEC Leaders Meeting

(1) Introduction

We will be starting the 3rd AZEC Leaders Meeting now. I would like to express my sincere

appreciation for the cooperation of the Prime Minister Anwar and the Leaders of AZEC partner countries.

(2) Reaffirming the importance of the AZEC principles

It is essential to secure economic growth in Asia, as the driver of global growth. At the same

time, we need to take actions to address climate change, an urgent challenge common to all humankind.

To this end, we would like to reaffirm the importance of the AZEC principles, with a view to realizing decarbonization, economic growth, and energy security simultaneously, and achieving net-zero emissions under various pathways, taking into account each country's national circumstances, such as industrial structure and energy composition.

(3) A way forward for new cooperation under

Based on "Action Plan for Next Decade" adopted last year, efforts to accelerate "AZEC

solutions" have been showing progress, specifically, in the development of rules to promote activities that contribute to decarbonization in Asia, sectoral initiatives, and individual projects involving both the public and private sectors.

Japan is coordinating with Malaysia to sign a memorandum of cooperation on the establishment of the Joint Crediting Mechanism (JCM) between the two countries.

Since last year's Leaders Meeting, approximately 120 cooperation projects have been developed through MOUs between Japan and the AZEC partner countries.

Japan, in cooperation with ASEAN countries, is also promoting the decarbonization of the primary supply chains through resource circulation of critical minerals.

I look forward to the continued implementation of tangible cooperation initiatives throughout the AZEC partner countries in the future, in a manner aligned with the AZEC principles.