Sixteenth Meeting of the Japan-ASEAN Forum

June 23, 1998

1. The sixteenth meeting of the Japan-ASEAN Forum will be held on June 25 (Thu.) and 26 (Fri.) in Hanoi.

2. The meeting will be attended on the Japanese side by Mr. Koichi Haraguchi, Deputy Minister for Foreign Affairs, as chief representative, and officials of the related ministries and agencies; and on the ASEAN side by vice-ministers for Foreign Affairs or their deputies.

3. At the meeting, the participants will mainly discuss such issues as the present situation and future efforts to be made by Japan and the ASEAN toward the Asian economic crisis now faced by the ASEAN countries, a follow-up of the Japan-ASEAN summit meeting held last December in Kuala Lumpur, and the regional and international situation of politics and security. Japan hopes to deepen policy coordination on these agenda items on this occasion bearing in mind the discussion to be held at the ASEAN Post-Ministerial Conference with Dialogue Partners in July.