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

Meeting with President of Germany Tuesday, July 2, 2002 Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi met with President Johannes Rau of the Federal Republic of Germany at the Prime Minister's Official Residence. As head of state of the host nation for the next FIFA World Cup football tournament, President Rau visited Japan to attend the World Cup Final. At the meeting, Prime Minister Koizumi praised the heroic efforts of the German national team in the final, stating, "It is unfortunate, but it was a great match." Furthermore, Prime Minister Koizumi and President Rau agreed on holding a "Germany Year in Japan" in 2005 to introduce German culture and industries.