Top > What's up around the Prime Minister > November, 2004

Japan-Chile Summit Meeting Press Conference by Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi Following the APEC Economic Leaders' Meeting and Official Visit to Chile Monday, November 22, 2004 Click photographs to enlarge Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi visited a Japanese-style garden on San Cristobal Hill located in the Santiago metropolitan area on the morning of November 22, after completing his schedule for the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Economic Leaders' Meeting. He was welcomed by students of the local Japanese school. After attending the welcoming ceremony at the Plaza of the Constitution in Santiago City, Prime Minister Koizumi met with Mr. Ricardo Lagos, the President of the Republic of Chile, at the La Moneda Presidential Palace. At the meeting, the two leaders discussed about holding research meetings among industry, academia and government for the conclusion of a Free Trade Agreement (FTA) between Japan and Chile and establishment of a "Japan-Chile Eminent Persons' Meeting" to discuss vitalization of exchanges in a variety of areas. The two leaders held a press conference after the meeting. In the afternoon, Prime Minister Koizumi held a press conference to wrap up his schedule for the APEC Economic Leaders' Meeting and said, "We discussed the expansion of economic exchange and also talked about developing an environment conducive to investment in the region. We covered the structural reform of APEC, the need to strengthen security measures, antiterrorism, and nonproliferation, among other issues. In addition to the group gatherings, I also met with US President George W. Bush, Indonesian President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono, Russian President Vladimir Putin, and Chinese President Hu Jintao. Following the APEC meetings, I met with Chilean President Lagos. In the interest of developing deeper ties between our two countries, we agreed to encourage further broad-based cooperation between Japan and Chile, with the possibility of a free trade agreement sometime in the future. I believe the meeting was very productive."