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Meeting between Minister for Foreign Affairs Seiji Maehara of Japan and Prime Minister Edward Natapei of Vanuatu, Chairman of the Pacific Islands Forum (PIF) (Outline)

October 15, 2010
Japanese

Prime Minister Edward Natapei of Vanuatu, Chairman of the Pacific Islands Forum (PIF)(Photo)
Prime Minister Edward Natapei of Vanuatu, Chairman of the Pacific Islands Forum (PIF)(Photo)

On October 15 (Fri) for about 30 minutes from 7:00 p.m., Mr. Seiji Maehara, Minister for Foreign Affairs of Japan, held a meeting with the Hon. Edward Natapei, Prime Minister of the Republic of Vanuatu and Chairman of the Pacific Islands Forum (PIF), who was visiting Japan as a guest of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Japan. Minister Maehara and Prime Minister Natapei held discussions on the Pacific Islands Leaders Meeting (PALM) Ministerial Interim Meeting which was scheduled to be held on October 16as well as bilateral relations and cooperation in the international arena. The outline of the meeting is as follows.

  1. Minister Maehara opened the discussion by stating that Japan hoped to strengthen relations with the Pacific Islands, including Vanuatu, through holding the PALM Ministerial Interim Meeting for the first time.

  2. In response, Prime Minister Natapei expressed his gratitude on behalf of the PIF member states and regions for hosting the PALM Ministerial Interim Meeting. He also stated that they would like to cooperate with Japan on handling grave situations in the Pacific Islands related to climate change, such as the rising sea level. He further expressed his gratitude for Japan’s continued assistance to Vanuatu over the past years.

  3. Minister Maehara stated that dealing with the situation in Fiji was an important issue for  peace and stability of the region and that Japan would call for early democratization through persistent dialogue with Fiji. Prime Minister Natapei responded that in order to ensure the return to democracy in Fiji, assistance to Fiji was essential.

  4. Minister Maehara explained Japan’s basic position regarding international climate change negotiations. Prime Minister Natapei agreed with Minister Maehara to cooperate on such important issues in the international arena.
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Related Information (Japan-Vanuatu Relations)
Related Information (Pacific Islands Leaders Meeting (PALM))

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