The First Day of the ASEAN+3 Summit Meeting

Monday, November 29, 2004

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Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi, who is visiting Vientiane, Lao People's Democratic Republic to attend meetings including the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) plus Japan, People's Republic of China and Republic of Korea (ROK) (ASEAN+3) Summit Meeting, held a Trilateral Meeting of the Leaders of Japan, China and ROK in the morning with Mr. Wen Jiabao, the Premier of the State Council of China and Mr. Roh Moo Hyun, the President of the ROK. At the meeting, the three leaders discussed the issue of North Korea, reform of the United Nations and the issue of Iraq. The three leaders adopted the "Action Strategy on Trilateral Cooperation among the People's Republic of China, Japan and the Republic of Korea," which outlines concrete steps for cooperation in various areas, including economy and trade, cultural and people-to-people exchanges, politics and security, with a view to achieving stability and prosperity in East Asia as a whole. In response to the decision to hold the first-ever "East Asia Summit" in Malaysia in 2005, which was agreed at the ASEAN Summit Meeting held in the afternoon, the ASEAN+3 Summit Meeting, including Japan, China and ROK, also supported this decision. Prime Minister Koizumi then held separate meetings with Mr. Manmohan Singh, the Prime Minister of the Republic of India, Mr. Soe Win, the Prime Minister of the Union of Myanmar and Ms. Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo, the President of the Republic of the Philippines. At the Japan-India Summit Meeting, the two leaders discussed UN reform and other matters. At the Japan-Myanmar Summit Meeting, the two leaders discussed democratization in Myanmar. At the Japan-Philippines Summit Meeting, the two leaders discussed an Economic Partnership Agreement (EPA) between the two countries with a Free Trade Agreement (FTA) as its pillar.