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Sixth ASEAN SUMMIT LogoSixth ASEAN SUMMIT

Hanoi, Vietnam (December 15-17, 1998)

Summit Meeting of ASEAN plus Japan, China, and ROK in Hanoi & Prime Minister Obuchi's Official visit to Vietnam - Goals of Prime Minister Obuchi's Attendance -

1. Schedule

Tuesday, December 15
Evening: Gala dinner for leaders of participating countries, hosted by the Prime Minister of Vietnam
Wednesday, December 16
Morning: Policy Speech by Prime Minister Obuchi
Noon: ASEAN + Japan ・China ・South Korea summit luncheon
Afternoon: ASEAN + Japan ・China ・South Korea summit meeting Japan-ASEAN summit meeting
Evening: Press conference by Prime Minister Obuchi for Japanese and foreign journalists
Press conference by Vietnamese Prime Minister
Thursday, December 17
Morning: Meeting with the General Secretary of the Communist Party, the President and the Prime Minister
Evening: Luncheon hosted by the Prime Minister Khai
(Notes: The Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) will hold its sixth official summit from the evening of December 14 to the morning of December 16. China is scheduled to be represented by Vice-President Hu Jintao and South Korea by President Kim Dae Jung.)

2. Goals of Japan's Attendance at this Summit

(1) Strengthening Dialogues Between Prime Minister Obuchi, ASEAN and other Asian Leaders
Amid the rapid changes taking place in Asia, it is becoming increasingly important to endeavor to strengthen understandings at the summit level between Japan and the ASEAN countries, which are important political and economic partners of Japan. This will be the first time for Prime Minister Keizo Obuchi to have meetings with all the ASEAN leaders together.
(Notes: This meeting will be the fourth Japan-ASEAN Summit. The previous three were held in 1977 (at the time of Prime Minister Takeo Fukuda), 1987 (Prime Minister Noboru Takeshita), and December 1997 (Prime Minister Ryutaro Hashimoto). This meeting will be the second ASEAN +Japan-China-South Korea summit following last year's meeting)
(2) Expressing Japan's Expectation for the Realization of "ASEAN 10" and ASEAN's Future Development
"ASEAN 10", embracing the whole of Southeast Asia, can be realized if the membership of Cambodia be admitted by ASEAN. While facing the difficulties such as Asian economic crisis and frictions caused by expansion of membership, ASEAN is endeavoring to maintain its policies of promoting political solidarity and economic liberalization. Considering these background, Japan will express its support for ASEAN's efforts and its expectation for ASEAN's future development.
(3) Announcing Japan's Support for the ASEAN countries to Overcome the Asian Economic Difficulties
Although the ASEAN countries have overcome the continuing depreciation of currencies, their real economies are still in serious situation. Having a close mutual interdependent relations with ASEAN, Japan has announced, and is steadily implementing, the world's largest cooperation measures to support the ASEAN countries which are making efforts to achieve economic recovery and structural reforms. In response to strong expectations from the ASEAN countries, Prime Minister Obuchi will announce and explain Japan's policy to continue its support them.
(4) Promoting and Strengthening Japan-ASEAN Relations Toward the 21st Century
It is important to further promote and strengthen Japan-ASEAN relations toward the twenty-first century. Japan will propose concrete measures for this purpose and discuss them with the ASEAN countries.
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