Tuesday, October 7, 2003

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Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi visited Bali, Indonesia to attend the ASEAN+3 (Association of Southeast Asian Nations, Japan, the People's Republic of China and the Republic of Korea) Summit. After delivering a speech at the ASEAN Business and Investment Summit in the morning of October 7, Prime Minister Koizumi held talks with Mr. Wen Jiabao, the Premier of the State Council of the People's Republic of China, and Mr. Roh Moo-hyun, the President of the Republic of Korea. At the summit meeting among Japan, the People's Republic of China and the Republic of Korea, the leaders of the three nations confirmed that the development and deepening of their trilateral cooperation contributes to the realization of peace, stability and prosperity in the East Asian region as a whole, and signed the "Joint Declaration on the Promotion of Tripartite Cooperation among Japan, the People's Republic of China and the Republic of Korea," the first joint declaration to be signed by the three leaders. It contains close cooperation in each area, including a peaceful solution of the nuclear issue which the Korean Peninsula is now facing through dialogue and the denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula. At the ASEAN+3 Summit in the afternoon, in response to the adoption by the ASEAN Summit in the morning of the Declaration of ASEAN Concord II (Bali Concord II) which aims for security and an economic community, the leaders confirmed that the Declaration will lead to strengthen the framework of the economic partnership and regional cooperation in the East Asian region. Furthermore, ASEAN welcomed the six-party talks concerning the issues of North Korea and discussed about such areas as food, communications and countermeasures against crimes. Prime Minister Koizumi then held separate talks with Mr. Khin Nyunt, the Prime Minister of Myanmar, and Mr. Wen Jiabao, the Premier of the State Council of the People's Republic of China. At the talks with Prime Minister Khin Nyunt, the leaders exchanged opinions on the issues regarding the democratization of Myanmar, and at the Japan-China Summit meeting, the leaders agreed to make an effort for their bilateral visits and confirmed the importance of a peaceful solution of the issues of North Korea through dialogue and their bilateral relations.

Link:	Speech by Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi at the ASEAN Business and Investment Summit
Link:	Joint Declaration on the Promotion of Tripartite Cooperation among, Japan, the People's Republic of China and the Republic of Korea