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South Korean Secretary for Foreign Trade meets with Secretary Generals of the Ruling Coalition |
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On March 8th the South Korean Secretary for Foreign Trade, Mr. Bang Ki-Moon, met with LDP Secretary General Shinzo Abe and New Komeito Secretary General Tetsuzo Fuyushiba in the Japanese Diet buildings. Mr. Bang Ki-Moon referred to ways in which the friendly relations between Japan and South Korea could be strengthened, and alluded to progress made towards a bilateral FTA agreement between the two counties. While recognizing the need to speed up negotiations between the two countries for an FTA, Secretary General Abe also stressed the importance of further cooperation in the six-nation talks towards the de-nuclearization of the Korean Peninsula, and requested South Korea’s assistance in the resolution of the abduction issue.
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Visit by a group of officials from the Chinese Communist Party Central Committee’s International Department |
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On the 8th of March a group of officials from the Chinese Communist Party Central Committee’s International Department visited Tokyo upon the invitation of the LDP, New Komeito and Democratic Party of Japan, and stayed until the 14th. The delegation was headed by Liu Hongcai, whose status equals that of China’s Vice Minister of Foreign Affairs and whose future in politics is guaranteed. For the Chinese, the main objective of the meeting was to establish a formal consultative organ in which political dialogue could be carried out that would address the mutual problems faced by the two countries. The conference had its origins in a request made by Chinese officials for such an organ to Nukaga Fukushiro, Chief of the LDP Policy Affairs Research Council, and Kazuo Kitagawa, Chief of the New Komeito Policy Affairs Research Council during a trip to China in January 2004. The establishment of this council signifies Japan’s understanding and acceptance of their request.
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Director-General of the International Bureau makes a speech at the EU Seminar on Geographical Indicators |
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On the 10th of March Takehiko Endo, Director-General of the LDP International Bureau, gave a lecture at a seminar on Geographical Indicators hosted by the European Union at a Tokyo Hotel. He stated: “while geographical indicators are an important guarantee of quality for producers and also for their native lands, from the point of consumers they must also be followed for the sake of food safety. Even though talks are ongoing in organizations such as the WTO, as a Japanese politician I propose actively pushing for the strengthening of the system.” |
News
Monthly News for April, 2004
March 30, 2004