Japanese Foreign Minister Fumio Kishida expressed his strong expectations March 27 for the outcome of discussions on global issues at The Genron NPO-initiated international forum in Tokyo.

"Debate among well-informed people in the private sector is indispensable to the creation of a new international order in today's tumultuous world," Kishida said, adding that he expected The Genron NPO and the World Agenda Council, a panel of opinion leaders and experts, to hold discussions on global issues, and deliver their opinions and proposals to the rest of the world.

Kishida made the remarks during a brief address at a reception held after the closure of the one-day WAC 2016 international forum at the United Nations University in the Japanese capital.

At the reception, Genron NPO President Yasushi Kudo presented to the foreign minister a five-point appeal regarding the upcoming summit of the Group of Seven advanced countries in Japan, which was issued in the name of all the members of the World Agenda Council on the basis of the discussions at the international forum earlier in the day. (See the full text of the appeal ).

Kishida said that the world faces mountains of difficult issues, including the proliferation of international terrorism, unilateral attempts to alter the established world order and the destabilization of the world economy, amid the rise of newly emerging countries and the resultant shift in the global balance of power.

Japan serves as the host of this year's G-7 summit, as well as the chair of the Japan-China-South Korea summit and the 6th Tokyo International Conference on African Development (TICAD), Kishida said, adding that Japan is also a non-permanent member of the U.N. Security Council this year.

"This will be a golden opportunity for Japan to be at the forefront of international discussions," Kishida stressed, adding that he is determined to lead the debate at the G-7 foreign ministers' meeting slated for April 10-11 in Hiroshima and to issue a clear-cut message to the world.

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