Top �� What's up around the Prime Minister �� January, 2002

Japan - Indonesia Summit Meeting Saturday, January 12, 2002 Click photographs to enlarge This afternoon Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi visited the Republic of Indonesia, the fourth country on his tour of Southeast Asian nations, and held a Summit Meeting with President Megawati Sukarnoputri. Prime Minister Koizumi explained Japan's new diplomatic vision for East Asia, saying that Japan intended to develop relations with the core nations of this region, the countries of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), by "acting together and advancing together" as sincere and open partners. Specifically, the Prime Minister spoke of cooperation initiatives for the future, such as the Initiative for Japan-ASEAN Comprehensive Economic Partnership and the strengthening of measures toward transnational issues, outlining his goal of a building a community for the future. With regard to bilateral relations, Prime Minister Koizumi expressed his support for territorial integrity of Indonesia and announced support of approximately $10 million dollars for assistance for internally displaced persons and the resolution of the East Timor refugee issue. The Prime Minister also expressed his support for Indonesia's efforts on reform and democratization, such as judicial and police reform and assistance for small and medium-size enterprises, indicating a flexible stance on debt rescheduling. In addition, from the perspective of emphasizing education, the Prime Minister gave his agreement on the establishment of a scholarship fund of approximately \500 million for elementary school and middle school students. President Megawati expressed her appreciation for Japan's cooperation and her expectation that relations between Japan and Indonesia will develop further.