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On May 15, DPJ Next Minister of Foreign Affairs Yoshio Hachiro met with Canadian Minister of Foreign Affairs Lawrence Cannon at party headquarters. The two exchanged opinions regarding foreign affairs, the environment and energy issues. The meeting was also attended by Next Vice Minister of Foreign Affairs Koichi Takemasa, members of the House of Representatives Tenzo Okumura and Hiroshi Nakai, and members of the House of Councillors Takeshi Maeda, Wakako Hironaka and Masamitsu Naito for the DPJ.
At the start of the meeting, Hachiro warmly welcomed the Canadian delegation, and Cannon responded by referring to the long history of friendly relations between Japan and Canada, stressing that he wanted to deepen the bilateral relationship to enhance cooperation on issues relating to world peace and stability. He also expressed his appreciation for Japan’s assistance in Afghanistan.
Hachiro pointed out that “The DPJ’s stance on Afghanistan is that we should emphasise civilian assistance”. Cannon commented that “Japanese developmental assistance and livelihood assistance is highly valued internationally.” He added that in addition to peace-keeping operations, peace-building efforts by the United Nations were becoming of increasing importance.
With regard to environmental and energy issues, Hironaka said that while on the one hand Japan had failed to meet greenhouse gas emission reduction targets stipulated by the Kyoto Protocol, since the inauguration of the Obama administration there had been increasing moves in the Japanese industrial sector to promote plans linking the environment and economic development.
In closing, Cannon wished the DPJ good luck in the forthcoming general election, and Hachiro emphasised the party’s desire to bring about a change of government.
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