Japan-ASEAN Summit

Tuesday, November 5, 2002

Click photographs to enlarge

The Japan-ASEAN (Association of Southeast Asian Nations) Summit was held in Phnom Penh in the morning. At the meeting, the leaders of Japan and ASEAN signed a joint declaration incorporating their agreement to draw up a framework for the Comprehensive Economic Partnership which foresees a free trade agreement (FTA) within its scope by the end of next year, and to realize the economic partnerships as soon as possible within ten years. In addition, the Prime Minister visited Wat Ounalom in Phnom Penh, laying flowers at the cenotaph for the late Atsuhito Nakata, who was killed under fire during activities as a United Nations volunteer for the United Nations Transitional Authority in Cambodia (UNTAC) in 1993. In the afternoon, bilateral summit meetings were held between Japan and Cambodia, Thailand and Myanmar, respectively. In the Japan-Cambodia Summit Meeting, Prime Minister Koizumi assured Prime Minister Samdech Hun Sen that economic support would continue, and stated, "I would like Cambodia to work toward systemic reform in areas such as human resources development so that you can gain cooperation from the international community." In the Japan-Thailand Summit Meeting, Prime Minister Koizumi expressed the intention to speed working level meetings toward the conclusion of an FTA, to which Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra agreed. In the Japan-Myanmar Summit Meeting, Prime Minister Koizumi asked for further efforts toward democratization, stating to Chairman of the State Peace and Development Council Than Shwe, "I hope you can say, when you have succeeded in rebuilding the nation, that it was built through efforts toward democratization." Prime Minister Koizumi then attended a press conference, at which the Prime Minister reemphasized his position that the normalization talks between Japan and North Korea would be approached with the issues of the abduction of Japanese nationals and nuclear development as the priority items of the agenda. In addition, the Prime Minister revealed that through the "Japan-ASEAN Exchange Year 2003" next year, dialogue for economic revitalization would be promoted, and that the Japan-ASEAN Commemorative Summit Meeting would be held in Japan next December. Prime Minister Koizumi departed for Japan the same evening.