ニュース 2011/11/10 Young administrators from Mekong region pay courtesy call to DPJ HQ On November 10, members of the House of Representatives Naoto Sakaguchi, Hiroyuki Moriyama and Shino Aihara, representing the younger generation of DPJ Diet members, received a courtesy call from a group of 50 young administrators from the Mekong region (Cambodia, Thailand, Myanmar, Laos and Vietnam) invited to Japan under the government-organised JENESYS program to learn about public-private partnership efforts. Sakaguchi first made an address welcoming the visiting delegation, saying, “I have been looking forward to exchanging views with those of you who have come to Japan from countries in the Mekong region. I would like us to use today’s discussion as an opportunity to consider the futures of our respective nations.” He went on to explain about Japan’s infrastructure and environmental technologies, citing infrastructure packages as one example. Luong Quang Huy from the Vietnamese Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment made an address on behalf of the visiting delegation, saying, “During our visit to Japan, we travelled to Iwate and Miyagi prefectures. We saw with our own eyes the strength, courage and care for the people around you shown by the Japanese people in the face of the difficulties posed by the earthquake and tsunami, and I believe that Japan will definitely be able to overcome her difficulties. Furthermore, Japan and the Mekong countries share many aspects including history and culture. We would like to convey our feelings and experiences [from this visit] to our friends and colleagues in our home countries, and it is our hope that it will lead to fruitful cooperation in future.” Following this, the Mekong side asked questions and expressed opinions about a variety of topics, including the DPJ membership system and logo mark, Japanese technology, ODA, and the TPP. The DPJ Diet members replied in detail to these questions, and stressed the importance of continuing and expanding exchanges between Japan and the Mekong countries through such means as the JENESYS program. The meeting ended on a convivial note with a group photo-shoot.