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Report
No.230505 |
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- International - |
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Japan-ASEAN Summit Meeting Joint Declaration Urges Accelerated EPA Negotiations A summit meeting of Japan and ASEAN nations was held in the morning of December 13 in Kuala Lumpur and the meeting adopted a joint statement to "deepen and broaden the strategic partnership" between Japan and ASEAN nations. On the issue of ASEAN Community Building, the statement says the summit "reiterated their full support for the realization of the ASEAN Community by 2020," and that "ASEAN welcomed the commitment made by Japan to provide fresh financial assistance in the amount of 7.5 billion yen (approximately 70 million US Dollars) to support ASEAN integration through the ASEAN Development Fund (ADF) and the ASEAN-Japan cooperation funds." On the issue of strengthening Economic Partnership, the statement says the summit "commits itself to make utmost efforts to conclude negotiations on the ASEAN-Japan Comprehensive Economic Partnership (AJCEP) Agreement as soon as possible within two years after the commencement date in April 2005," and that "they tasked their ministers to explore measures to accelerate negotiations in order to realize the AJCEP. Meanwhile, a series of bilateral summit meetings were held with various countries in Kuala Lumpur. During the meeting of Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi with Malaysian Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi, the Economic Partnership Agreement (EPA) centered around Free Trade Agreement (FTA), already agreed in principle in May 2005, was formally inked by the two leaders and it will take effect in the autumn of 2006. (For the contents of the agreement in principle, see July 2005 issue.) Prime Minister Koizumi also met with Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh. Prime Minister Singh said "he would like to consider a comprehensive economic partnership agreement with Japan," to which Prime Minister Koizumi showed a forward looking response. During the meeting with Vietnamese Prime Minister Phan Van Khai, Prime Minister Koizumi agreed to collaborate on the issue of EPA centered around FTA between the two countries. During the meeting with the King of Brunei Haji Hassanl Bolkiah, Prime Minister Koizumi offered by saying that "in the light of close economic relationship between the two countries, the time has come when the two countries shall start preparatory talks on an EPA," and the offer was endorsed by the King. |
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