The new Israeli Ambassador to Japan, Mr. Eli-Eliahu Cohen, paid a courtesy visit to Secretary General Shinzo Abe at the LDP headquarters on the 10th of February. Despite agreement last year between Israel and Palestine on a road map towards peace in the Middle East, there have been no further developments and terrorism via suicide bombing is continuing.
In this vein, Secretary General Abe reiterated Japan’s desire for peace, stating “as long as peace in the Middle East remains unrealized, a true world peace will never be achieved.” To this, Mr. Cohen made Israel’s expectations clear, stating that while Israel is extremely grateful for Japan’s efforts towards peace thus far, he expects Japan’s role in the peace process to expand further in the times ahead.

On the 12th of February the Deputy National Security Advisor for the Republic of Korea, Mr. Lee Jong Seok, visited the offices of the Secretary General Abe at the LDP headquarters. Together they exchanged opinions about the problem of North Korea and relations between the Republic of Korea and Japan. First, with regard to the problem of North Korea, and in particular the abduction issue, Mr. Lee stated “there has been evidence of a change in the stance of North Korea recently, which is most likely due to successful cooperation on the part of Japan, the Republic of Korea, and the US. For this reason, the Republic of Korea seeks to continue this cooperation.” Mr. Lee also reiterated the importance of this cooperation for the upcoming six-nation talks, which are being held to discuss the nuclear problem.
To this, Secretary General Abe replied “the Japanese Diet has just enacted changes to the Foreign Exchange and Foreign Trade Control, and in doing so has given the Japanese government the authority to impose economic sanctions against any country. It is likely that these measures may also soften the stance of the North. In any case, normalization of negotiations will be impossible until the remaining family members of the abductees are allowed to return to Japan, and the whereabouts of the unknown abductees is made clear.”
With regard to Japan-South Korea relations, Mr. Lee stated that while people-people exchanges between the two countries were increasing, the Republic of Korea wished to promote more exchange on the government level, including politicians. He expressed the Republic of Korea’s desire to move on from the past and look toward the future together.

On the 12th of February the Minister Counselor for Economic Affairs of the American Embassy in Tokyo, Mr. Michael W. Michalak, met with the Chairman of the General Council of the LDP, Mr. Mitsuo Horiuchi at the LDP headquarters. Together they exchanged views about a variety of Japanese political issues. First, Mr. Michalak asked about the Japanese economy, to which Chairman Horiuchi replied that Japan was slowly seeing the results of Prime Minister Koizumi’s structural reform program and was experiencing economic recovery in some areas. However, he confirmed that Japan had yet to see progress in the area of small to medium enterprises. “This will undoubtedly form the focus of reform drives from now on”, he said. He also appealed for support and encouragement for the capacity of the Koizumi administration to carry out the three pillars of its reform program, namely the reform of Japan’s Public Highway Corporation, the privatization of postal services and local government.
With regard to the problem of the BSE-infected meat found in the US, Mr. Michalak reiterated that that while Japan is insisting on individual tests of all cattle, there is no scientific basis for such tests.

On the 13th of February Foreign Affairs Minister Dr. Nabeel Shaath and Finance Minister Dr. Salam Fayad from the Palestine Authority visited Secretary Generals Abe Shinzo of the LDP and Tetsuzo Fuyushiba of New Komeito at the LDP headquarters in Nagatacho.
Discussing Japan’s economic aid to Palestine, Foreign Minister Shaath confirmed the importance of Japan’s role in the Middle East peace process, and expressed Palestine’s desire to keep receiving this aid. On the other hand, Secretary General Fuyushiba appealed for an end to terrorism, lamenting “suicide bombings and other tragic incidents are still occurring daily. Continuing to retaliate to each others’ actions over and over again will only ensure the tragic situation continues.”
In the talks Secretary General Abe reiterated that the dispatch of the Self Defense Forces to Iraq was in order to assist in Iraq’s reconstruction, not to participate in the war itself. He expressed his hope that the Palestinian people would understand this.