Top > What's up around the Prime Minister > October, 2004

Chairperson of the Commission of the African Union (AU) Pays Courtesy Call on Prime Minister Wednesday, October 13, 2004 Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi met with Mr. Alpha Oumar Konare, the Chairperson of the Commission of the African Union (AU), which is the executive body of the AU, at the Prime Minister's Official Residence. At the meeting, Chairperson Konare expressed his support for Japan aiming to become a permanent member of the United Nations (UN) Security Council. In response, Prime Minister Koizumi said, "Japan believes that a country from Africa should obtain a permanent seat at the UN," and expressed his hope that an African country would become a permanent member of the UN Security Council. Furthermore, Prime Minister Koizumi and Chairperson Konare agreed that concrete measures would be taken with a view to implementing the "Japan-AU Policy Dialogue" next spring. It has been agreed that the Japan-AU Policy Dialogue would be launched as soon as the first half of 2005.