(Provisional Translation)

Opening Statement by Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi at the Press Conference on the ASEAN+3 Summit Meeting

November 5, 2002

Good afternoon ladies and gentlemen of the press. Here in Phnom Penh, a city brimming with energy for economic development, we had the ASEAN+3 (Japan-People's Republic of China-Republic of Korea) Summit Meeting, as well as bilateral meetings with Prime Minister Hun Sen of the Kingdom of Cambodia and other leaders. We were able to have candid exchanges of views on matters related to regional stability, in addition to matters related to regional cooperation, especially in the economic area. First, on Japan-North Korea relations, I shared with the leaders the fact that at the normalization talks Japan took up the issue of the abductions of Japanese nationals and security issues, including the nuclear issue, as priority items on the agenda. I expressed my determination to continue to negotiate with perseverance with the DPRK and also expressed my hope to lead these efforts to greater regional peace and stability. Building on this philosophy, I believe that we were able to issue, as a statement of the ASEAN+3 Summit Meeting, a clear message with regard to abandonment of nuclear development plan by North Korea. In the Japan-China-Republic of Korea Leader's Meeting, in addition to the discussion over the issue of North Korea, I proposed that we build a network of intellectual exchange and research centers as part of Japan-China-Republic of Korea cooperation, taking into view the cooperation with East Asia as a whole, and this received the support of the other leaders. At the ASEAN+3 Summit Meeting we also exchanged views with regard to efforts to strengthen economic partnership and to strengthen ASEAN economic integration. I proposed that we have learned people consider ways to promote human resource development and the exchange of people and have them submit their report to next year's Summit Meeting. I received overall support from the participating countries on this. At the Japan-ASEAN Summit Meeting, with regard to the Japan-ASEAN Comprehensive Economic Partnership, for which a study has been going on since I broached that idea during my January visit to ASEAN countries, we signed a joint declaration, which spells out our basic policy to accelerate the realization of this initiative. In addition to that, we officially decided to launch the Japan-ASEAN Exchange Year 2003, starting January of next year. We also decided to hold, on 11-12 December 2003, the Japan-ASEAN Commemorative Summit Meeting. Turning to bilateral meetings, I had one-on-one meetings with Prime Minister Hun Sen of Cambodia, Prime Minister Chinnawat Thaksin of the Kingdom of Thailand and Chairman of the State Peace and Development Council Than Shwe of the Union of Myanmar. Although time was short, I was able to exchange views candidly on the support for human resource development and the building of social institutions in Cambodia, on the necessity for economic partnership with Thailand and support for democratization and economic reform within Myanmar. Also, in between meetings, I visited and offered my respect to the cenotaphs for Police Superintendent Takada and Mr. Nakata, who lost their lives in the course of peacekeeping operations (PKO). The valuable sacrifice of these two gentlemen will not stand in the way of deepening relations between Japan and Cambodia. Rather, I believe that it has caused a spreading of a sentiment in both of our countries to further capitalize on their sacrifice to build our mutual relations. Since the day when the Fukuda Doctrine was evinced in Prime Minister Fukuda's speech of 25 years ago, Japan has consistently maintained the policy of placing importance on Asia and on ASEAN. As I indicated in my Singapore Policy Speech in January this year, building on the basic philosophy of "acting together and advancing together," Japan wishes to further promote cooperation and exchanges with the Asian region in all areas including political, economic and cultural. That is a summary of the thoughts that I had during the meetings here.