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Top ＞ What's up around the Prime Minister ＞ December, 2003
What's up around the Prime Minister


First Day of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN)
-Japan Commemorative Summit


Thursday, December 11, 2003


The Photograph of Japan-Malaysia Summit Meeting The Photograph of Japan-Singapore Summit Meeting The Photograph of Japan-Thailand Summit Meeting

The Photograph of Japan-Brunei Summit Meeting The Photograph of Japan-Phillippines Summit Meeting The Photograph of Leaders of the ASEAN and Japan to Take a Commemorative Picture The Photograph of a Joint Meeting of the ASEAN-Japan Commemorative Summit


Click photographs to enlarge



On December 11, 2003, the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN)-Japan Commemorative Summit began. Prior to the opening of the Summit, Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi held talks with Mr. Abdullah bin Haji Ahmad Badawi, the Prime Minister of Malaysia, Mr. Goh Chok Tong, the Prime Minister of the Republic of Singapore, Mr. Thaksin Shinawatra, the Prime Minister of the Kingdom of Thailand, His Majesty The Sultan and Yang Di-Pertuan, Sultan Haji Hassanal Bolkiah Mu'izzaddin Waddaulah of Brunei Darussalam and Ms. Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo, the President of the Republic of the Philippines.

During each meeting, Prime Minister Koizumi called upon each of the leaders for their understanding regarding the dispatch of Self Defense Forces (SDF) to Iraq and explained that the dispatch was for the purpose of providing humanitarian and reconstruction assistance, saying "The members of the SDF will provide assistance for the development of infrastructure for the basic daily needs of the people of Iraq. They will not be involved in operations designed to eradicate terrorism."

Furthermore, during the meetings with Malaysia, Thailand and the Philippines, the leaders agreed to begin negotiations with the respective countries on economic partnership agreements at an early time in 2004.

In the meeting with Prime Minister Goh Chok Tong of Singapore, the leaders confirmed the achievements of their economic partnership across a broad spectrum centering on the Free Trade Agreement (FTA) that came into effect in 2002. In the meeting with His Majesty Sultan Haji Hassanal Bolkiah of Brunei Darussalam, the leaders discussed issues including the promotion of tourism.

In the afternoon, the ASEAN-Japan Commemorative Summit started at the Akasaka State Guest-House, located in Minato Ward, Tokyo. After Prime Minister Koizumi respectively greeted each of the leaders at the Main Entrance to the Akasaka State Guest-House, they gathered for a commemorative photograph in the "Kacho-No-Ma (Flowers and Birds Room)."

A joint meeting was succeedingly held at which Prime Minster Koizumi and President Megawati of the Republic of Indonesia served as co-chairs and the leaders agreed to expand the relations between the ASEAN and Japan into the field of politics and security as well as economy.

Prime Minister Koizumi also officially expressed his policy to join the Treaty of Amity and Cooperation (TAC) which prescribes peace order within the ASEAN.

At night Prime Minister Koizumi sponsored a dinner party at a hotel in Tokyo, where each of leaders wore same Happi coat and broke the lid of a sake barrel by the wooden hammer to toast (Kagamiwari).