The Middle East Peace Process (Personal Letters of Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi prior to the Arab Summit Meeting)

March 25, 2002

1. Prior to the Arab Summit Meeting to be held on March 27 and 28 in Beirut, Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi sent personal letters dated March 22 to Mr. Mohamed Hosni Mubarak, President of Egypt; His Majesty King Abdullah II Bin Al-Hussein, King of Jordan; Mr. Emile Lahoud, President of Lebanon (Chairman of the Arab Summit Meeting); Mr. Basshar al Assad, President of Syria; Crown Prince Abdullah of Saudi Arabia; and other leaders of major participating countries; as well as to Mr. Yasser Arafat, Chairman of the Palestinian Liberation Organization. Prime Minister Koizumi wrote of his strong wish that a constructive message would be sent out in one voice for peace in the Middle East at the Meeting.

2. The gist of the letters is as follows:
   • Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi, together with many people of Japan, is deeply concerned about the situation: the vicious circle of violence, in which retaliation against violence results in another violence, has been continuing between Israel and the Palestinians.

   • It is the urgent task of the international community to work on both parties to end the interchange of violence. To this end, it is essential that a prospect for peace in the region be presented, so that Israel, the Palestinians, all the Arab countries, and the whole international community can promote momentum for peace together.

   • Japan welcomes the initiative taken by HRH Crown Prince Abdullah bin Abdul-Aziz of Saudi Arabia, who plays a significant role in the Arab and Islamic world, as a new and important step for the progress of the Middle East peace process.

   • Japan expects that based on that initiative, the Arab countries will send out a constructive message in one voice in the upcoming Arab Summit Meeting for peace in the region.

Related Information (Japan-Middle East Relations)