Top �� What's up around the Prime Minister �� June, 2003

Prime Minister Meets with the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) Wednesday, June 18, 2003 Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi held talks with Mr. Rudolphus Franciscus Marie Lubbers, the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), at the Prime Minister's Official Residence. Mr. Lubbers came to Japan to participate in an international symposium on refugee issues to be held in Tokyo from June 19. Mr. Lubbers, who has an experience of serving as the Prime Minister of the Kingdom of the Netherlands for a long term, succeeded Ms. Sadako Ogata in 2001 and serves as a United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) . During the meeting, Mr. Lubbers called on Japan to continue to provide assistance for refuges in Afghanistan. Prime Minister Koizumi expressed his intention to take a positive response in this regard, in response.