Visit to Japan of Minister of Foreign Affairs, International Trade and Worship of the Argentine Republic Adalberto Rodriguez Giavarini
(Summary and Evaluation)
14 May 2001
From 9 to 12 May 2001, Minister of Foreign Affairs, International Trade and Worship of the Argentine Republic Adalberto Rodriguez Giavarini visited Japan as an official guest of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. The following is a summary and evaluation of the visit.
1. Summary
(1) Foreign Ministers' Meeting (10 May)
- Foreign Minister Giavarini is the first minister of the Administration of His Excellency President Fernando De La Rua to visit Japan since its inauguration in December 1999. This was also the first ministerial meeting for Minister of Foreign Affairs Makiko Tanaka, since her appointment.
- Upon Foreign Minister Tanaka extending an invitation to President De La Rua at an appropriate time during the fiscal year 2002, Foreign Minister Giavarini responded that it was also his wish to convey such a desire from President De La Rua, thus establishing the very real possibility of President De La Rua paying a visit to Japan. Foreign Minister Giavarini also extended invitations to Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi and Foreign Minister Tanaka to visit Argentina.
- Furthermore, at the meeting in addition to an agreement to further enhance the policy cooperation of both countries, opinions were exchanged on such issues as the Free Trade Area of the Americas (FTAA), the issue of the transportation of radioactive material and information and communications technology (IT).
(2) Signing of Record of Discussions (R/D) on the Partnership Programme for Joint Cooperation between Japan and Argentina (10 May)
- At the beginning of the Foreign Ministers' Meeting, Foreign Minister Tanaka and Foreign Minister Giavarini both signed a R/D on the Partnership Programme for Joint Cooperation between Japan and Argentina, which aims to implement joint technical cooperation by both countries to aid developing countries.
(3) Contacts with all sectors of society (10-11 May)
- Foreign Minister Giavarini held discussions with Minister of Economy, Trade and Industry, Takeo Hiranuma and Minister of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries, Tsutomu Takebe, and also held meetings with President of the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) Kunihiko Saito, Deputy Governor and Managing Director of the Japan Bank for International Cooperation (JBIC) Youseki Nagase, and Vice-President of the Japan External Trade Organization (JETRO) Yoshihiko Saeki. In addition, Foreign Minister Giavarini held direct talks concerning Japan-Argentina relations with people from a wide sector of society, including a luncheon with the Japan-Argentina Business Co-operation Committee (Chairman: President and CEO of Mitsubishi Corporation Mikio Sasaki) and the Japan-Argentina Parliamentary Friendship League (Chairman: Member of the House of Representatives and former Minister of Foreign Affairs Kabun Muto).
2. Significance and Evaluation of the Visit to Japan
(1) Maintaining and enhancing the momentum gained in bilateral relations during the 1990s
Bilateral relations between Japan and Argentina were enhanced during the Administration of former President Carlos Saul Menem (1989-1999) through the exchange of dignitaries and such events as the "100 Years of Friendship." The visit of Foreign Minister Giavarini provided an opportunity to cement and strengthen these ten years of close relations, now under the Administration of President De La Rua. The anticipated visit of President De La Rua will further help to develop bilateral relations between the two countries.
(2) Common recognition of the modalities for bilateral relations in the future
In recent years, Argentina has been increasing its international presence, playing roles in such issues as free trade negotiations, peace-keeping operations and the environment. For Japan, Argentina is not only an important partner in bilateral relations, but is also a suitable partner with whom to create a broad-ranging relationship based on mutually shared international viewpoints. The enhancing of policy cooperation which was agreed on the occasion of this visit represents a most important development in creating such a relationship based on the sound bilateral relations to date. Moreover, through the R/D on the Partnership Programme for Joint Cooperation between Japan and Argentina, which was the concrete result of Foreign Minister Giavarini's visit, the bilateral relationship will in the future now be able to explore new horizons in the area of technological cooperation.
(3) A strong impression on the current domestic situation of Japan
Foreign Minister Giavarini emphasized at the Foreign Ministers' Meeting and at all other subsequent meetings that Argentina is promoting economic structural reforms and free trade, with the aim of effectively dealing with increasing globalization. At the same time, Foreign Minister Giavarini highlighted the fact that when compared with his previous visit to Japan two years ago (before his appointment as Foreign Minister) he had been left with the strong impression that Japan too was undergoing great changes in its moves to achieve structural reform. The fact that the person responsible for foreign policy in the Administration of President De La Rua in Argentina, one of the major countries of South America, directly recognized Japan's current situation could have a favorable effect on relations with the Southern Common Market (MERCOSUR) countries and other Central and South American countries.
(END)
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