Readout of the Secretary-General's meeting with H.E. Mr. Seiji Maehara, Foreign Minister of Japan, in the margins of the 65th General Assembly

The Secretary-General met today with H.E. Mr. Seiji Maehara, the new Foreign Minister of Japan, and congratulated him on his appointment. They discussed progress on the Millennium Development Goals, including Japan's efforts to address maternal and children's health, and education through the “Kan Commitment.” The Secretary-General expressed appreciation for Japan's consistent support to the United Nations and for its leadership particularly in the areas of human security as well as nuclear disarmament and non-proliferation, including co-hosting with Australia of a ministerial meeting on this issue. They also discussed UN reform and Japan's support to UN peacekeeping operations.