Press Conference, 18 May 2007

Visit to Japan by Deputy Prime Minister Dr. Pham Gia Khiem of the Socialist Republic of Viet Nam
First Round of the Japan-People's Republic of China-Republic of Korea Senior Foreign Affairs Officials' Consultation
Visit to Japan by Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs Margaret Beckett of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland
10th Japan-EU High Level Meeting on the Environment
Dispatch of Special Mission from Japan to the Independent State of Samoa following the death of H.H. Malietoa Tanumafili II

I. Visit to Japan by Deputy Prime Minister Dr. Pham Gia Khiem of the Socialist Republic of Viet Nam

Deputy Press Secretary Tomohiko Taniguchi: I have four or five points to make for my opening statement today.

Firstly, Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Dr. Pham Gia Khiem of the Socialist Republic of Viet Nam is visiting Japan from Tuesday, 22 May until Sunday, 27 May.

Japanese diplomacy is reaching out with renewed vigor to the region of CLV, which obviously stands for Cambodia, or the Kingdom of Cambodia, Laos, Lao People's Democratic Republic, and Viet Nam, for each of these countries is undergoing a transition of a magnitude that is unprecedented in their economic as well as political institutions and the support--whatever that may be--from Japan could make a difference in their developmental processes. With that in mind, if I may remind you Minister for Foreign Affairs Taro Aso put an emphasis on Japan's CLV diplomacy when he made the proposal last year of the Arc of Freedom and Prosperity.

Hence, of late we welcomed a visit by Prime Minister Bouasone Bouphavanh of the Lao People's Democratic Republic, which now is slated to be followed by Dr. Pham Gia Khiem, and then next month between Wednesday, 13th and Saturday, 16th by the visit of Prime Minister Samdech Hun Sen of the Royal Government of Cambodia.

As far as the Deputy Prime Minister Pham Gia Khiem is concerned, he will hold the first ever meeting of the Japan-Viet Nam Cooperation Committee, the establishment of which was proposed by the Vietnamese side when Prime Minister Shinzo Abe made a visit to Viet Nam last October and had a Summit Meeting. Foreign Minister Aso will be Japan's Chair for the meeting, which is supposed to address a wide array of issues ranging from economy to science and technology, among other things.

Worthy of mention here would be that there is a growing interest from the business communities of the two countries.

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II. First Round of the Japan-People's Republic of China-Republic of Korea Senior Foreign Affairs Officials' Consultation

Secondly, also as a first attempt, Japan, the People's Republic of China, and the Republic of Korea (ROK) are having what is called the First Round of the Japan-China-ROK Senior Foreign Affairs Officials' Consultation tomorrow, Saturday, 19 May in Beijing. From Japan, Mr. Mitoji Yabunaka, Deputy Minister for Foreign Affairs; from China, Mr. Cui Tiankai, Assistant Minister, Ministry of Foreign Affairs; and from the ROK, Mr. Shim Yoon-joe, Deputy Minister for Foreign Affairs, Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade, are taking part. As a footnote, when the three nations had the Seventh Summit among the three nations' leaders, they reached a decision to launch the consultation mechanism. The purpose is to share awareness among the three countries on such issues as would concern them, like the situation in North Korea, and in many other parts of the world.

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III. Visit to Japan by Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs Margaret Beckett of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland

Thirdly, Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs Margaret Beckett of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland will be visiting Japan next week between Monday, 21 May and Wednesday, 23 May. Foreign Minister Aso met her, actually, on the 4th of this month in Egypt.

IV. 10th Japan-EU High Level Meeting on the Environment

Fourthly, there will be the 10th Japan-EU High Level Meeting on the Environment in Brussels.

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V. Dispatch of Special Mission from Japan to the Independent State of Samoa following the death of H.H. Malietoa Tanumafili II

Fifth and lastly, on the demise of King Malietoa Tanumafili II of the Independent State of Samoa on Friday, 11 May, the Government of Japan dispatched yesterday, Thursday, 17 May, Mr. Masayoshi Hamada, Vice Minister for Foreign Affairs as Ambassador on Special Mission to the country.

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