On October 24, Secretary-General LIM Byung-jin held a meeting with the delegation from Toyama Prefecture, Japan including the executive director of Shimane Prefecture and deputy director-general of the Civic Affairs, Environment & Culture Department of Toyama Prefecture, as well as the director-general of the Environment and Living Department of Shimane Prefecture, Japan. These officials were attendees of the 14th NEAR General Assembly.

During the meeting, Mr. Lim expressed his gratitude for their active participation in the General Assembly and acknowledged the significant contributions both prefectures have made to NEAR's development over the past 20 years. Toyama Prefecture has been a coordinator of the Subcommittee on Environment, and Shimane Prefecture has played a similar role in the Subcommittee on Educational and Cultural Exchange. Mr. Lim also shared that this year's General Assembly marked a historic milestone, being the largest in terms of offline attendance and high-level participation. He encouraged the delegates to engage in meaningful exchanges with other participants and urged them to sustain their active involvement in NEAR activities.

HAYASHI Rika, executive director of Shimane Prefecture and deputy director-general of the Civic Affairs, Environment & Culture Department, extended her congratulations to NEAR for the successful General Assembly. She expressed gratitude for NEAR's hospitality and conveyed her disappointment that the Subcommittee on Environment, initially scheduled for November 14, would now take place online.

NISHIMURA Hideki, director-general of the Civic Affairs, Environment & Culture Department, conveyed his appreciation for NEAR's invitation and praised the meeting's success. He affirmed Shimane Prefecture's commitment to collaborating with NEAR, particularly in their role overseeing the NEAR Subcommittee on Educational and Cultural Exchange. Mr. Nishimura also expressed his delight at reconnecting with Secretary-General Lim, recalling their earlier meeting at the 3rd Northeast Asia Regional Cooperation Roundtable in Jilin Province, China, in August. He expressed his hope for a continued positive relationship between them.