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

The First Day of the APEC Economic Leaders' Meeting Saturday, November 20, 2004 Click photographs to enlarge Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi left Haneda Airport in the afternoon of November 19 and arrived in Santiago, Chile at dawn of the following day (noon of November 20, Japan time) to attend the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Economic Leaders' Meeting. On the morning of November 20, Prime Minister Koizumi held a meeting with Mr. George W. Bush, the President of the United States of America, prior to the APEC Leaders' Meeting. At this meeting, the two leaders agreed to attach importance to the Six-Party Talks with respect to issues concerning North Korea. Furthermore, the two leaders agreed to continue close consultations on the realignment of the US Forces in Japan. Regarding reconstruction assistance to Iraq, Prime Minister Koizumi said, "Japan intends to continue cooperating toward the reconstruction of Iraq and wants it left to Japan's direction as to what kind of assistance it will implement. In providing reconstruction assistance, it is important to reinforce international coordination", and President Bush agreed. The two leaders also shared the recognition that a strong dollar is vital not only for Japan and the US but also for the overall global economy. At the unofficial APEC summit meeting held in the afternoon, discussions took place over security issues, including counterterrorism measures, non-proliferation and infectious diseases. Regarding the issue of nuclear weapons development by North Korea, Prime Minister Koizumi expressed Japan's intention to urge North Korea by way of the Six-Party Talks for its complete dismantlement of nuclear weapons and asked APEC member countries for their understanding and support. Prime Minister Koizumi then held a meeting with Mr. Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono, the President of the Republic of Indonesia. At this meeting, the two leaders agreed that the two countries would promptly establish the "Government-Private Sector Joint Forum" in order to promote investment from Japan to Indonesia. In addition, in response to President Yudhoyono's request for Japan's aid for infrastructure development, Prime Minister Koizumi said, "Japan would like to continue contributions through Official Development Assistance (ODA)."