Japan’s PM Shinzo Abe Pledges to Help France Rebuild Fire-Ravaged Notre Dame Cathedral

Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe is pledging to help France rebuild the fire-ravaged Notre Dame Cathedral. Abe stopped in France Tuesday as part of his tour of Europe and North America.

Speaking alongside French president Emmanuel Macron, Abe said through a translator he "was deeply saddened by the damage inflicted to the World Heritage" building.

He said the Japanese government "will spare no effort to bring its cooperation" in the reconstruction.

Experts inspect the damaged Notre Dame cathedral after the fire in Paris, April 16, 2019, assessing the blackened shell of Paris' iconic cathedral to establish next steps to save what remains after a devastating fire destroyed much of the almost 900-year-old building.VOA

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Macron and Abe will discuss the agenda for the upcoming Group of Seven and Group of 20 leaders' summits that France and Japan will respectively host this year.

In their statement at the Elysee palace, they said they will also talk about boosting economic growth through free trade, and address issues including North Korea and plastic waste in ocean. (VOA)

Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe