Foreign Minister Nakasone's Visit to Laos
(Overview of Results)
January 11, 2009
Mr. Hirofumi Nakasone, Minister for Foreign Affairs, visited the Lao People's Democratic Republic on Saturday, January 11, and had talks lasting about one hour and 15 minutes with H.E. Dr. Thongloun Sisoulith, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs of Laos. The gist of their talks and other agenda items is as follows:
1. Talks with Dr. Thongloun
(1) During the first 10 minutes, a small meeting was held. Dr. Thongloun said he welcomed Mr. Nakasone's visit to Laos, and Mr. Nakasone responded by expressing his appreciation for warmly agreeing to the visit, despite its scheduling on a weekend. Mr. Nakasone stressed he had done his utmost to promote the Association of Southeast Asian Nations and the development of the Mekong region as President of the Japan-ASEAN Inter-Parliamentary Exchange Group of the House of Councillors. He then presented Dr. Thongloun with a Mekong-Japan Exchange Year Badge marking 2009 as Mekong-Japan Exchange Year, and Dr. Thongloun immediately put the badge on.
(2) A general meeting was held next, and views on various subjects were exchanged, as described below.
(a) Opening remarks
Mr. Nakasone expressed delight at being able to make his first trip to Laos. He also remarked on the success of visits to Japan made by various Lao leaders, including the May 2008 trip by President Choummaly Sayasone, and noted that the overall relationship of cooperation between Japan and Laos was deepening and expanding at all levels. In addition, he stated that Japan's policy of supporting nation-building and stable, sustainable growth in Laos, a country that plays an important role in the stability and development of the Mekong region, would remain unchanged.
Dr. Thongloun said that on behalf of the Lao government and people, he welcomed Mr. Nakasone's visit. He conveyed a message from Lao Prime Minister Bouasone Bouphavanh to Japanese Prime Minister Taro Aso stating that he would like to invite Prime Minister Aso to Laos, and would very much like to have high-level exchanges in 2010, the fifty-fifth anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between Japan and Laos.
(b) Economic cooperation
Mr. Nakasone stated that Japan would compile a list of projects for cooperation as climate change countermeasures in line with the Joint Announcement on the Environment and Climate Change Isuues issued in 2008 by Lao President Choummaly and then Japanese Prime Minister Yasuo Fukuda. He also said that Japan would provide technical assistance to support the reconstruction and rehabilitation of places and structures damaged by the flooding of the Mekong River in August 2008.
Dr. Thongloun expressed profound gratitude for Japanese assistance to Laos and stated that Laos would make full use of the aid it received. He also expressed appreciation for Japanese support connected with the Mekong River flood damage.
Dr. Thongloun expressed thanks for the aid from Japan totaling 600 million yen for the construction of a martial arts center in Laos, which will serve as the venue for the Southeast Asian Games. Mr. Nakasone remarked that he hoped the proposed center would be constructed at an early date and that Japan plans to invite martial arts experts from Laos to Japan at the end of January 2009. Dr. Thongloun also expressed appreciation for Non-Project Grant Aid of up to 1.2 billion yen, for which the two sides will sign an exchange of notes.
(c) Promotion of trade and investment
Dr. Thongloun expressed his hope that the bilateral relationship between Japan and Laos would not be confined to the governmental level but would include the comings and goings of businesspeople and a higher volume of Japanese investment in Laos.
In response, Mr. Nakasone noted that an expansion of trade and investment is important for further enhancing friendly relations between the two countries, and the two Foreign Ministers agreed they would hold in the spring of 2009 the First Meeting of the Joint Committee of the Japan-Laos Bilateral Investment Agreement, which entered into force in August 2008.
Mr. Nakasone also said that he looks forward to the steady implementation of the Action Plan from the Lao side to promote investment, which the Lao Government announced during the Second Meeting of the Japan-Lao Public and Private Sectors Dialogues in December 2008, and said that Japan would provide support from all sectors for the moves in Laos to improve the investment environment.
(d) Japan-Mekong cooperation
Dr. Thongloun said that Laos is considering a variety of projects to promote Mekong-Japan Exchange Year 2009 and that a proposal had been made to host a Mekong-Japan Women Parliamentarians Forum, in which Laos is particularly interested. Foreign Minister Nakasone welcomed the proposal.
Commenting on Cambodia's offer to host the Second Mekong-Japan Foreign Ministers' Meeting in 2009, Dr. Thongloun said that Laos supports the Cambodian proposal and that he personally would like to attend the meeting. Mr. Nakasone replied that while they decide on the details of the schedule, Japan would work with the countries of the Mekong region, including Laos, to ensure the success of the gathering.
(e) Clearance of unexploded ordnance and the Convention on Cluster Munitions
Mr. Nakasone praised Laos' signing of the Convention on Cluster Munitions at the end of 2008. He mentioned that a grant contract of up to 70 million yen for Grassroots Human Security Projects connected with the Clearance of Unexploded Ordnance (UXO) would be signed after the talks and stated that Japan would continue to provide cooperation for operations in Laos for the clearance of UXO, including cluster munitions.
Mr. Nakasone, who attended the signing conference for the Convention on Cluster Munitions in Oslo, Norway, on December 3, 2008, where he signed the treaty, expressed his hope that it would go into force as early as possible and stated that Japan would for its part like to provide support for its ratification. Dr. Thongloun expressed agreement with Mr. Nakasone's view, and the two Foreign Ministers agreed to work together to increase the number of signatories.
(f) North Korea
Mr. Nakasone described the recent state of Japan's relations with the Democratic People's Republic of Korea and said that while Japan's basic stance remained the comprehensive resolution of the nuclear, missile, and abduction issues, the settlement of outstanding issues, and the normalization of diplomatic ties, at present no concrete steps were being taken toward this goal.
In response, Dr. Thongloun expressed heartfelt sympathy for the abductees and their families and said that abduction is an unacceptable act. He said that his heart goes out to the victims and their families. He also stated that Laos' relations with North Korea have historically been good, and, while taking this into account, he expressed hope that North Korea would move more in step with the international community.
2. Signing of the Economic Cooperation Documents
Following the talks, the two Foreign Ministers signed an exchange of notes for Non-Project Grant Aid (up to 1.2 billion yen) and a grant contract of up to 70 million yen for Grassroots Human Security Projects connected with the Clearance of Unexploded Ordnance(UXO).
3. Attendance at the Welcome Reception of the General Meeting of the Asia-Pacific Parliamentary Forum
Mr. Nakasone also attended the welcome reception of the general meeting of the Asia-Pacific Parliamentary Forum, which Laos is hosting in 2009, and he delivered a congratulatory address together with H.E. Dr. Xaysomphone Phomvihane, Vice-President and Chairman of the Committee on Foreign Affairs of the National Assembly of Laos.
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