The ASEAN Post-Ministerial Conferences (PMC)
(Japan-ASEAN Foreign Ministerial Meeting)
- Outline -

August 1, 2002

On 1 August from 16:15 to 17:15, the ASEAN Post-Ministerial Conferences (PMC) (Japan-ASEAN Foreign Ministerial Meeting) was held in Brunei. The following is an outline of the meeting.

1 Japan-ASEAN Relations and their Future Direction

(1) General Relations Between Japan and ASEAN

Japan noted the friendly and cooperative relationship between Japan and ASEAN, which has been maintained for decades since the "Fukuda Speech" in 1977. Japan also expressed its policy of strengthening cooperation under the basic concept of "acting together -- advancing together" as "sincere and open partners" of ASEAN in the future. In response, the ASEAN side highly evaluated Japan's consistent policy, which places importance on ASEAN.

(2) Initiative for Japan-ASEAN Comprehensive Economic Partnership

Japan explained that Japan and the whole ASEAN would study possible areas and frameworks for partnership. At the same time, Japan explained that it would make an effort toward strengthening bilateral economic partnerships with any country of ASEAN ready for consultations based on the framework of the Japan-Singapore Economic Partnership Agreement. In addition, Japan expressed its intention to agree with the ASEAN countries at the Japan-ASEAN Summit Meeting in November by compiling the modalities into a political document, taking into account the progress of above-mentioned efforts. In response, the ASEAN side expressed its basic concert with Japan's intention and it was decided to advance work toward the Japan-ASEAN Summit Meeting in November.

(3) ASEAN-Japan Exchange Year 2003

Japan stated that exchanges and cooperation should be advanced in a wide range of areas including cultural exchanges as well as the economy, politics, security, science and technology, education, human resources development, etc. to raise the level of relations between Japan and ASEAN to a higher stage. Furthermore, Japan proposed holding a Japan-ASEAN Special Summit Meeting in Japan at the beginning of December 2003 in commemoration of the Exchange Year. In response, the ASEAN side basically agreed to Japan's proposal and it was decided that the foreign ministers would report back to their respective leaders and upon consultations make a final agreement at a summit meeting to be held in November.

2 Japan-ASEAN Cooperation on Global Issues

Japan pointed out the importance of Japan-ASEAN cooperation for the early realization of United Nations reform and for the World Summit on Sustainable Development (WSSD). At the same time, Japan called on the ASEAN countries to make active efforts regarding the nonproliferation of weapons of mass destruction and their means of transportation, an early ratification of the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban-Treaty (CTBT), the prevention of illegal trade in small arms, etc. Furthermore, Japan reported on the G8 Kananaskis Summit and announced it would cooperate closely with the ASEAN countries in the promotion of a new round of World Trade Organization (WTO) negotiations.

3 Others

The ASEAN side expressed its expectation that Japan would maintain its level of Official Development Assistance (ODA) to ASEAN. It also expressed hope that Japan would assist in filling the gaps within the ASEAN region and strengthening integration through cooperation toward the Initiative for ASEAN Integration (IAI).