Secretary General Kim Ok-chae and a delegation from the NEAR Secretariat held a meeting with Ogawa Hiroshi, Governor of Fukuoka Prefecture in Japan on October 17. Secretary General Kim gave a detailed account of the philosophy of NEAR’s foundation, the present state of its members, the main activity content, and the organization of the Secretariat. He also invited Fukuoka Prefecture to join NEAR.
Governor Ogawa gave an explanation on the current situation of international exchange with Fukuoka Prefecture and indicated his regret about conflicts between central governments that influence the exchange of regional governments.