The 2nd Japan-South Pacific Forum Summit Meeting ("PALM 2000")

December 21, 1999

Following today's meeting between Prime Minister Obuchi of Japan and President Nakamura of Palau, who is also this year's Chairman of the South Pacific Forum, Mr. Mikio Aoki, Chief Cabinet Secretary, announced today that the Second Japan-South Pacific Forum (SPF) Summit Meeting (PALM 2000) will be held on Saturday 22 April 2000, in Miyazaki, which is situated in Southern part of Japan.
PALM 2000 will be attended by the leaders of Japan and SPF members, who will discuss a range of current and future issues, such as cooperation towards sustainable development of the Pacific island countries and other global or regional issues of common concern.
It is expected that PALM 2000 will usher in a new era of future oriented partnership as well as heart-to-heart human relationship among pacific islands, including Japan. The meeting is also expected to contribute to the process leading up to the successful G8 Kyushu-Okinawa Summit.
(note)
(1) PALM 2000 is the acronym for "the Pacific islands Leaders' Meeting." "The Pacific islands Leaders' Meeting" is the English translation for the Japanese nickname of "the Second Japan-South Pacific Forum Meeting."
(2) President Nakamura, who is this year's chairman of the South Pacific Forum, is currently visiting Japan as a guest of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. His programme during his stay in Japan includes, along with today's meeting with Prime Minister Obuchi, such occasions as a dinner hosted by Foreign Minister Kono, as well as a meeting with Mr. Tamasawa, Minister of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries.
(3) In October 1997, at the First Japan-South Pacific Forum Summit Meeting, the leaders agreed in principle to hold another such leaders' meeting within a couple of years. There have been calls since from Forum members for the Second Japan-South Pacific Forum Summit Meeting to be hosted by Japan, such as in the Forum Communique in 1998 and 1999.
In response to such calls, Mr. Shozo Azuma, Senior State Secretary for Foreign Affairs, announced this October at the Post Forum Dialogue in Palau, that Japan was exploring the possibility of hosting the Second Japan-South Pacific Forum Meeting in Japan sometime in spring of the year 2000, prior to the G8 Kyushu-Okinawa Summit scheduled for July in the same year.

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