Statement by the Press Secretary/Director-General for Press and Public Relations, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, on the Nomination of Senator Howard Baker, former Senate Majority Leader, as new U.S. Ambassador to Japan

March 27, 2001

The Government of Japan welcomes the announcement of President Bush's intention to nominate Senator Howard Baker as new U.S. Ambassador to Japan.
Senator Baker has had a distinguished career including his services as Senate Majority Leader and White House Chief of Staff under President Reagan. Even after he retired from public duties, his views and insights have been highly and widely respected in and out of the United States. As Senator Baker is said to have been long acquainted with major cabinet members of the present U.S. administration, the Government of Japan welcomes his nomination as a sign that the Bush Administration highly values the Japan-U.S. relations.
Because Senator Baker has visited Japan many times since his first visit in 1969 to take part in the Japan-U.S. Parliamentarians' Friendship Program, he has many acquaintances in Japan and a profound understanding of this country. The Government of Japan sincerely hopes that Senator Baker will, upon assuming his new post, play an active role in further developing wide-ranging cooperative relations between Japan and the United States in political, security as well as economic and cultural fields.
The Government of Japan pays its heartfelt tribute to Ambassador Thomas Foley who, as a true friend of Japan, has been making great contribution with vigor and sincerity toward promoting Japan-U.S. relations which cover wide-ranging areas from politics, economy and security to the grass-roots-level of the Japanese people for more than three years since having assumed his post in November 1997.

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