Click photographs to enlarge

Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi on his visit to Federative Republic of Brazil met with Mr. Vanderlei de Lima, a Brazilian marathon runner who won the bronze medal at the Athens 2004 Olympics despite being blocked during the race, at a hotel in the city of Brasilia on the morning of September 16 (Japan time: night of September 16) and offered his words of praise for Mr. Lima's achievement by saying, "You have moved the hearts of the people around the world. That is much more valuable than winning a gold medal." Prime Minister Koizumi then held talks with Mr. Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, the President of Brazil, at the Office of the President around noon (Japan time: dawn of September 17). At the meeting, the two leaders agreed for Japan and Brazil to support each other in becoming permanent members of the United Nations (UN) Security Council, to closely cooperate with one another towards UN reform in order to achieve this goal, to cooperate to vitalize the economic relations between Japan and the Mercosur countries (the Southern Common Market) including Brazil, and to establish an eminent persons' meeting called the "Japan-Brazil Council for the 21st Century" with participation of intellectuals from both countries, designating the year 2008 which marks the 100th anniversary since the Japanese people first immigrated to Brazil as the "Japan-Brazil Exchange Year." After the meeting, the two leaders announced a Joint Communique which centers on reform of theUN Security Council and the revitalization of economic relations between the two countries. Prime Minister Koizumi left Brasilia that evening (Japan time: early morning of September 17) for the United Mexican States, his next destination, and arrived in Mexico City at midnight of the same day (Japan time: noon of September 17).

---

Link:

JOINT COMMUNIQUE BETWEEN JAPAN AND THE FEDERATIVE REPUBLIC OF BRAZIL