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Symposium on Japan & India:
Challenges and Prospects in Asia and Pacific in the 21st century

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs will host "Symposium on Japan & India: Challenges and Prospects in Asia and Pacific in the 21st century" as follows;

1. Date and Venue

Date: Friday, 10th March, 2006

Session 1: 10:00-12:30
Session 2: 14:00-16:30

Venue: Mita Kaigisho, Auditorium (2-1-8, Mita, Minato-ku, Tokyo)

Capacity: 250

2. Chairs and Speakers

Co-Chairs

  • Mr. Sakutaro Tanino
    Director, Toshiba Corporation and former Ambassador to India and China
  • Dr. S. Narayan
    former Economic Advisor to Prime Minister of India

Speakers

  • Japan
    • Mr. Masahiro Akiyama, former Vice Minister, Defense Agency
    • Mr. Yukio Okamoto, former Advisor to Prime Minister
    • Mr. Eisuke Sakakibara, Professor, Keio University
    • Mr. Hitoshi Tanaka, former Deputy Minister for Foreign Affairs
    • Mr. Osamu Watanabe, Chairman, Japan External Trade Organization
  • India
    • Mr. Suman Bery, Director General, NCAER
    • Mr. Subhodh Bhargava, Chairman, VSNL and Past President, CII
    • Mr. Lalit Mansingh, former Ambassador to U.S.
    • Dr. Raja Mohan, Editor, Indian Express
  • U.S.
    • Mr. Michael Green, former Senior Director for Asian Affairs, NSC
    • Dr. Stephen P. Cohen, Senior Fellow, Brookings Institution
  • China
    • Prof. ZHAO Gancheng, Director, Dept. of South Asia Studies, Shanghai Institute for International Studies

3. Sessions

Inaugural Session <10:00-10:30>

  • Opening remarks by Mr. Tanino, Director, Toshiba Corporation
  • Welcome remarks

Session 1: Challenges in Asia Pacific <10:30-12:30>

Since the end of the Cold War, the world has witnessed a unipolar system of the U.S. in political, military and economic fields. After the series of terrorist attacks in September 2001, however, strengthening of global cooperation in the field of anti-terrorism, non-proliferation of weapons of mass destruction, energy security, and other issues of global importance has become crucially significant.

While the necessity to establish a strategic security system and the extent of economic globalization have increased the rising powers of China and India have drawn attention worldwide and the relations among countries in Asia Pacific have entered a new phase, as is shown in the initiative of India to strengthen its ties with Japan, U.S., China and Russia, and its move toward economic partnership with South East Asian countries.

In this session, the discussion will focus on how Japan, India, U.S. and China, respectively, assesses such tectonic moves taking place in Asia-Pacific. It will then consider the impact of such moves on the future Japan-India relations.

Theme 1: Recent Developments and Challenges in the Asia-Pacific region from the perspective of International Politics and Security

  • Chairman: Mr. Tanino, Director, Toshiba Corporation
  • Speakers:
    • (Japan) Mr. Okamoto, former Advisor to Prime Minister
    • (India) Mr. Mansingh, former Ambassador to U.S.
    • (U.S.) Mr. Green, former Senior Director for Asian Affairs, NSC
  • Points of Discussion:
    • Changes in global security strategy since 9.11
    • China and India as growing powers
    • Partnerships among Japan, India, U.S., China and Russia
    • Sea-lane Security in the Indian Ocean (including the issue of piracy)
    • Disarmament and non-proliferation

Theme 2: Recent Development and Challenges in the Asia-Pacific region from the perspective of International Economy

  • Chairman: Dr. Narayan, former Economic Advisor to Prime Minister
  • Speakers:
    • (Japan) Mr. Sakakibara, Professor, Keio University
    • (India) Mr. Bhargava, Chairman, VSNL
    • (China) Prof. ZHAO Gancheng, Director, SIIS
  • Points of Discussion:
    • Strengthening of economic partnership in Asia (among Japan, India, China and ASEAN countries)
    • Increase of India-US/India-China trade and investment as a result of Indian economic growth
    • Energy security and environment in view of rapid growth of China and India

(after lunch)
Special Presentation <14:00-14:20>

  • Mr. Michael Green, on U.S. diplomacy in Asian region with special focus on recent developments of U.S.-India relations".

Session 2: Towards a more deepened Japan-India relations <14:20-16:20>

In April, 2005, Prime Ministers of Japan and India signed the joint statement and agreed to strengthen their bilateral, regional, and global cooperative relationship. The discussion in Session 2 will focus on what Japan and India are expected to do for peace, stability and prosperity in Asia-Pacific, and how the two countries should cooperate towards that goal, including through trilateral cooperation among Japan, India, U.S. and China.

Theme 1: Strengthening of Economic Cooperation

  • Chairman: Dr. Narayan, former Economic Advisor to Prime Minister
  • Speakers:
    • (Japan) Mr. Watanabe, Chairman, JETRO
    • (India) Mr. Suman Bery, Director General, NCAER
    • (China) Prof. ZHAO Gancheng, Director, SIIS
  • Points of Discussion:
    • Japan-India cooperation for strengthening economic partnership
    • Japan-India cooperation in the fields of IT and science technology
    • Response to global challenges (in securing energy supply or preventing global warming)
    • How can Japan, India, U.S. and China cooperate in the region?

Theme 2: Strengthening of Political and Security Cooperation

  • Chairman: Mr. Tanino, Director, Toshiba Corporation
  • Speakers:
    • (Japan) Mr. Akiyama, former Vice Minister, JDA
    • (Japan) Mr. Tanaka, former Deputy Minister for Foreign Affairs
    • (India) Mr. Mohan, Editor, Indian Express
    • (U.S.) Dr. Stephen P. Cohen, Brookings Institution
  • Points of Discussion:
    • Can Japan and India cooperate for peace and stability in the Asia-Pacific region?
    • Japan-India cooperation in the fields of security including anti-terrorism, regional dispute settlement and maintenance of regional stability
    • Cooperation on developing a regional framework after India's participation in EAS and Japan's participation as observer in SAARC
    • How can Japan, India, U.S. and China cooperate in the region?

Closing Session <16:20-16:30>

Closing remarks by Co-chairs (Mr. Tanino and Dr. Narayan)

4. Application

* by E-mail:

Please fill out the Application Form ([PDF] [Word]) and send to:
indo.sinpojiumu@mofa.go.jp

* by Fax:

Please fill out the Application Form ([PDF] [Word]) and send by fax to: 03-5501-8266

* by Post:

Please fill out the Application Form ([PDF] [Word]) and send to:
Japan-India Symposium Desk
Southwest Asia Division
Ministry of Foreign Affairs
2-2-1, Kasumigaseki, Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo 100-8919

N.B. For security reason, please bring identification (ID Card etc.) with you.

5. For Further Information

Please contact:

Japan-India Symposium Desk
Southwest Asia Division
Ministry of Foreign Affairs
TEL: 03-5501-8267

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