Monthly News for August, 2003

September 10, 2003

Presentation by Nobuteru Ishihara, Minister for Administrative and Structural Reform

On July 2, the Minister for Administrative and Structural Reform, Nobuteru Ishihara, gave a presentation before the Nagatakai. He spoke on the situation of structural reform in Japan. “There are some who say that little progress has been made with structural reform. But things have changed to the extent that one can see battery-powered cars on the streets, and advanced medical services that were once the responsibility of each individual are now covered by insurance.” Moreover, he said with respect to selling medicine at convenience stores, “there would be a 1.4 times increase in sales of nutrition drinks if they were sold at convenience stores, so we should reform rules in this respect.”
In conclusion, Ishihara said, “we have only started on the path to deregulation. More than looking for progress, we should aim to build a better Japan.”

Study Session on Pipelines in Russia

The Board of the International Bureau met on July 15 to hear presentations from Kensuke Kanekiyo, Director of the Japan Energy Economics Research Institute, and Akihiro Yokochi, Group Manager, who talked about oil and gas pipelines in Russia.

The Indonesian Ambassador, Hon. Abdul Irsan, visits Secretary General Yamasaki

On July 16, the Hon. Abdul Irsan, the Indonesian Ambassador to Japan, visited Secretary General Taku Yamasaki to discuss recent events in Indonesia.
First of all, Ambassador Irsan expressed his gratitude for Japan’s cooperation and assistance to date. Secretary General Yamasaki replied, “We are hoping that the direct Presidential elections in Indonesia next year will further strengthen democratization and political security for Indonesia.”

Successive Meetings Held between the Chinese Envoy in Japan and Party Board Members

The Chinese Envoy to Japan, the Hon. Cheng Yonghua, met with the Director General of the LDP International Bureau, Toshitsugu Saito, and Director of the Foreign Affairs Division, Eisuke Kawamoto on July 25. They exchanged opinions on recent Sino-Japanese relations.