Press Conference 12 April 2002
- Speech by Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi at the Boao Forum for Asia
- Efforts regarding the Middle East
- Visit to Japan by Minister of Education Abdul Raoul Amin of the Afghan Interim Authority
- Follow-up questions on the visit by Education Minister Amin
- Speech by Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi at the Boao Forum for Asia
Assistant Press Secretary Daisuke Matsunaga: Good afternoon, ladies and gentlemen. I have a couple of announcements.
First, Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi, on Hainan Island, the People's Republic of China, just delivered a policy speech entitled "Asia in a New Century - Challenge and Opportunity." A synopsis of the speech is being delivered to you right now. The full text of the speech is also available; so, if you would like a copy, please let us know.
In his speech, Prime Minister Koizumi emphasized the three driving forces behind Asia's peace and development, namely, freedom, diversity, and openness, and the three concrete challenges that are facing the region, namely, reform, cooperation, and conveying Asia's message to the world.
Prime Minister Koizumi stressed the importance of reforms, including Japan's own structural economic reforms, and the country's economic revitalization.
Also, Prime Minister Koizumi touched upon Japan-China economic relations and presented his views on China's economic development as an opportunity for the Japanese economy to upgrade itself and an opportunity for Japan to seek complementary and mutually beneficial economic relationships with China.
Furthermore, Prime Minister Koizumi expressed his approach to trade and development and trade and investment issues, and, in order to promote economic cooperation among the nations while continuing to attach importance to multilateral efforts centered around the World Trade Organization (WTO), he expressed a positive attitude toward economic cooperation and free trade agreements, bilaterally or sub-regionally, in addition to multilateral efforts centered around the WTO.
In the context of cooperation, Prime Minister Koizumi also mentioned the idea of dispatching a Silk Road mission whose function would be to pursue the possibility of energy cooperation with Central Asian countries.
Finally, as the speech was delivered on Hainan Island, Prime Minister Koizumi also touched upon the possibility of pursuing the preservation of rainforest on Hainan Island in cooperation with the International Tropical Timber Organization (ITTO), which is headquartered in Yokohama.
Related Information (Boao Forum for Asia)
- Efforts regarding the Middle East
Mr. Matsunaga: My second announcement is about the Middle East peace process.
Yesterday, Minister for Foreign Affairs Yoriko Kawaguchi met with Israeli Ambassador to Japan Yitzhak Lior. At that meeting, Foreign Minister Kawaguchi expressed her great concern about the vicious cycle of violence. Also, Foreign Minister Kawaguchi emphasized the importance of US Secretary of State Colin Powell's visit to the region, and she encouraged the Israeli side and the Palestinian side to seize this opportunity in a constructive manner so that they will make decisions leading to a ceasefire and the resumption of negotiations.
Foreign Minister Kawaguchi also mentioned the passage of a Diet resolution calling for a ceasefire and the resumption of dialogue. And by the way, this resolution was passed yesterday by the House of Representatives and today, this morning, by the House of Councillors. Foreign Minister Kawaguchi drew the Ambassador's attention to the Diet resolution and she expressed condolences for the Israeli victims of terrorism.
Moreover, Foreign Minister Kawaguchi conveyed that Japan has been also urging the Palestinian side to crack down on extremist groups. The Foreign Minister went on to say that the same message had been given to Chairman Abu Ala of the Palestinian Legislative Council (PLC) and that Ambassador in charge of International Counter-Terrorism Cooperation Hiroshi Shigeta had been sent to the region, and the same message was being passed on through Ambassador Shigeta.
In response, Ambassador Lior said that even though there may be reasons behind terrorism there is no distinction between good terrorism and bad terrorism. The Ambassador further said that since Japan was extending economic assistance to Palestine, he wished to ask the Japanese side to urge the Palestinian side to cease terrorism.
Finally, Foreign Minister Kawaguchi repeated her request to Israel to terminate its invasion, and she requested the Israeli side to withdraw forces immediately. Lastly, she expressed her hope that Secretary Powell would gain sufficient understanding from both sides.
Yesterday, Foreign Minister Kawaguchi issued a press release concerning Secretary Powell's visit to the Middle East and she also referred to that statement in her conversation with Ambassador Lior.
Related Information (Japan-Middle East Relations)
- Visit to Japan by Minister of Education Abdul Raoul Amin of the Afghan Interim Authority
Mr. Matsunaga: My third announcement is on the upcoming visit to Japan by Minister of Education Abdul Raoul Amin.
The Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology of Japan will invite Minister of Education Abdul Raoul Amin of the Afghan Interim Authority, to Japan from 16-19 April.
During his stay in Japan, Education Minister Amin is scheduled to pay a courtesy call on Prime Minister Koizumi and to have meetings with Education Minister Atsuko Toyama and Foreign Minister Kawaguchi.
Also, Education Minister Amin is scheduled to observe some distance education facilities. Distance education is education that is provided to remote areas; large distances separate the teachers and students, but through the use of information technology one can provide education to these isolated students.
Additionally, Education Minister Amin will visit some distance education-related sites, a women's university, a teachers college, and a primary school.
The Government is interested in exchanging views on education cooperation with Afghanistan, and, taking advantage of this opportunity, we would like to promote education cooperation with the Afghan Interim Authority in its nation-building efforts.
Related Information (Japan-Afghanistan Relations)
- Follow-up questions on the visit by Education Minister Amin
Q: Will the Education Minister be visiting somewhere outside Tokyo?
Mr. Matsunaga: Education Minister Amin will not go too far out of Tokyo, but he is going to visit somewhere around the greater Tokyo area.
Q: So the university, the teachers college, and the school that you mentioned, they will mostly be around greater Tokyo?
Mr. Matsunaga: Yes. If I may supplement what I have stated on distance education: Instead of using too sophisticated computer-related equipment, radio or television broadcasting education is also a part of distance education.
Q: I was in Nepal just before the terrorist attacks and there I found that a lot of local schools are catering to young students eager to study English. Is there the same kind of eagerness to study English among children in Afghanistan?
Mr. Matsunaga: I suppose there is also an eagerness among Afghan people and students to study English. However, basic education in their own languages has been insufficient so far, and so, probably, they might want to establish some basic education in their own languages first.
Q: What are their mother languages?
Mr. Matsunaga: Dari and Pashto are two, but there are several languages spoken in Afghanistan. I think the children, particularly the young girls, in Afghanistan have been deprived of opportunities to study. Therefore, I think there is a great thirst for basic education in that country.
I think it is very important for them to study English also so that they can speak out on their own views and exchange views with the outside worlds; however, there is also a great need for letting the young students become literate in their own languages.
Related Information (Japan-Afghanistan Relations)
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