Visit to Japan by Prime Minister John Howard of Australia
(Outline and Evaluation)

7 August 2001

1. Outline

Prime Minister John Howard of Australia visited Japan from Thursday 2 August to Friday 3 August and held talks with Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi, Minister for Foreign Affairs Makiko Tanaka and other principal persons in the Japanese Government on 3 August. This is his fourth visit since he took office as Prime Minister in 1996.

Note: Principal persons with whom Prime Minister Howard met include Minister of Economy, Trade and Industry Takeo Hiranuma, Minister of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries Tsutomu Takebe, and former Prime Minister Ryutaro Hashimoto. In addition, at the breakfast meeting hosted by the Japan-Australia Diet Members League and the luncheon hosted by the Japan-Australia Business Co-operation Committee on 3 August, he held talks with principal persons of the political and private sector, such as Chairman of the Japan-Australia Diet Members League Kabun Muto, Minister of Justice Mayumi Moriyama, Minister of State for the Financial Services Hakuo Yanagisawa, Chairman of the Japanese Federation of Economic Organization (Keidanren) Takashi Imai (also Chairman of the Japan-Australia Business Cooperation Committee), Chairman of Itochu Cooperation Minoru Murofushi (Vice Chairman of the Japan-Australia Business Cooperation Committee) and others.

2. Points of notice and evaluation

(1) The visit to Japan by Prime Minister Howard is the fourth visit after he took office as Prime Minister in 1996 and his third visit in three consecutive years, following the official visit in 1999 and another visit in 2000 to attend the funeral of late former Prime Minister Keizo Obuchi. In addition, a Summit Meeting with then Prime Minister Yoshiro Mori was held on the occasion of the United Nations Millennium Summit in September 2000 and talks were held over the telephone with Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi just after he assumed office as Prime Minister. These frequent exchanges between the Prime Ministers of Japan and Australia attest to the further closeness of the relationship between Japan and Australia as important partners in the Asia-Pacific region.

(2) The Japan-Australia Summit Meeting held on 3 August provided the first opportunity for Prime Ministers Koizumi and Howard to meet each other, where they exchanged opinions on such issues as the regional situation and global issues, in addition to the bilateral relationship between Japan and Australia. With Prime Minister Koizumi recalling his visit to Australia when he was the Minister of Health and Welfare and enjoyed the hospitality of Australian ministers, the meeting was held in a very relaxed and friendly atmosphere, providing a good start for the cooperative relationship between the two Prime Ministers.

Furthermore, Prime Minister Howard had an eventful schedule conducting meetings and holding discussions, in addition to the Summit Meeting, with principal persons in Japan's political and business fields, including five principal members of the Koizumi Cabinet such as Foreign Minister Tanaka in the short space of an actual working day.

(3) Main points of the Japan-Australia Summit Meeting are as follows:

1. With regard to the bilateral relationship, it was confirmed that both governments would cooperate with a view to further strengthening bilateral relations. In addition, considering the importance of Japan in the Australian economy, Prime Minister Howard expressed interest in the political and economic reforms proposed by the Koizumi Cabinet. In response, Prime Minister Koizumi explained his views on reform.
2. With regard to the regional situation, Prime Minister Koizumi expressed his high appreciation of the role that Australia played in relation to East Timor and his wish to continue to cooperate with Australia towards the stabilization of the region, stating that Japan would dispatch electoral observers for the election of a constituent assembly scheduled to take place on 30 August. Prime Minister Howard expressed his high appreciation for Japanese support in East Timor and asked for the continuing involvement of Japan.
3. With regard to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, Prime Minister Koizumi expressed his wish to closely cooperate with Australia with a view to making efforts until the last moment to ensure that the United States joins the Kyoto Protocol before its entry into force in the year 2002. In response, Prime Minister Howard expressed his wish to continue to cooperate with Japan, as the stances of both countries on the issue are very close.

In addition, the leaders agreed that Japan and Australia should cooperate with each other towards the successful launch of the new round of WTO negotiations.