 |
 |
2011/02/17
Korean Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade meets with Okada, Sengoku
|
 |
|
|
On February 17, DPJ Secretary General Katsuya Okada received a courtesy call from Korean Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade Kim Sung-Hwan inside the Diet building and discussed the general state of relations between Japan and the Republic of Korea (ROK). The meeting was also attended by International Department Director-General Chinami Nishimura and Vice Director-General Naoto Sakaguchi, as well as Japanese Ambassador to the Republic of Korea Masatoshi Muto.
At the start of the meeting, Okada welcomed Kim’s visit to Japan, and looked back on his time as Minister for Foreign Affairs, while expressing his hopes for the further development of bilateral relations, “Last year was a difficult year, but we were able to come through it in good order, with cooperation between Japan and the ROK. This year is an important start, as the first year of the next 100 years [of bilateral relations], and we would welcome a visit to Japan by President Lee at the earliest opportunity.”
Kim expressed the opinion that bilateral relations are developing in a favourable manner, stating, “Relations between the ROK and Japan are being maintained at an even higher level than usual. We appreciate the many efforts made by the DPJ government. Furthermore, last year’s statement issued by Prime Minister Kan [on the occasion of the 100th anniversary of the annexation of the Korean Peninsula] was extremely meaningful for the ROK-Japan relationship. We appreciate the efforts made by the Secretary General in assisting with drawing up the statement [during his tenure as Minister for Foreign Affairs].”
On the previous day, February 16, Kim paid a courtesy call on Acting President Yoshito Sengoku at DPJ party headquarters. Kim expressed his appreciation for the support that the Japanese Diet and the Japanese people had shown to the ROK in the face of the various provocations that it had received from North Korea during last year. He went on to explain that President Lee was firmly resolved to make the relationship between the ROK and Japan an even better one, and believed that it should be a future-orientated relationship.
Citing the joint hosting of the 2002 Football World Cup by Japan and the ROK, and the popularity of Korean pop groups such as Girls Generation and KARA, Sengoku said “For the average citizen, the barrier between the Japan and the ROK is getting smaller.”
Sengoku also pointed out the importance of concluding an Economic Partnership Agreement (EPA) in order to deepen the future-oriented relationship between the two nations, and stated that the links between Japan and the ROK could be strengthened by engaging in joint initiatives in a various fields, such as intellectual infrastructure and high-speed rail. Kim also indicated his broad agreement with these points.
|
|
|
| ▲このページのトップへ |
|
