Your Excellency, Foreign Minister Kasemsamosorn,
Distinguished Delegates of the ASEAN countries,
Ladies and Gentlemen,

First of all, I would like to extend to Your Excellency Minister Kasemsanosorn my heartfelt congratulations upon your assuming the office of Foreign Minister and I offer my sincerest wish for your success. I feel very pleased, today, to have this occasion,, of exchange of views, under you, chairmanship, on the perspective of the cooperative relationship between the countries of ASEAN and Japan,, looking toward the coming 21st century. I would also like to offer my congratulations to Vietnam on her participation in this conference as a new member of ASEAN from this year. I would hope that Vietnam should play an active role as an intimate dialogue partner in achieving peace and prosperity.


Japan's view on the Asia Pacific region

Ladies and Gentlemen,

It car, be said that the international community is no,, in the midst of an historic period of change as it addresses to the building of a new post-Cold War framework. I,, this period of change, the Asia Pacific region, is exerting remarkable efforts in deepening the interdependent relationships among the countries of the region and promoting further regional cooperation. At the general session this morning, I offered some principles for furthering these efforts. Namely, first, cooperation in this region should further strengthen interdependence throughout the region, meaning that it should be based upon the clear realization that regional prosperity feeds national prosperity and should serve to further region-wide cooperation as epitomized by APEC. Second, Asia-Pacific regional cooperation should build upon the various interlocking frameworks for cooperation, meaning that it should respect the different countries and regions' characteristics and stages of development, should make flexible use of the various frameworks for dialogue and cooperation existing in, the region, and, linking these frameworks, should heighten the sense of shared identity within the region and contribute to region-wide stability and prosperity. Third, Asia-Pacific regional cooperation should be open to extra-regional players, meaning that it should be compatible with such global frameworks as the United Nations and the WTO and should see to complement and strengthen these frameworks.

ASEAN, as an important force within the Asia Pacific region, not only welcomes Vietnam as its new member, but envisions to strengthen the relations with the countries of Indochina, through such a proposal as the Southeast Asia 10 summit. Moreover, other diplomatic initiatives, such as the ASEAN Regional, Forum and next year's Asia Europe Meeting, are highly appreciated. Bearing in mind these latest developments which led ASEAN into a new stage, I believe that Japan should seek ever, more to intensify dialogues with ASEAN and enhance our cooperative relationship in every area.


Future cooperation between Japan and ASEAN

Ladies and Gentlemen,

Based on this recent evolution of ASEAN, Japan regards it as particularly important at this stage that the ASEAN countries and Japan should deepen policy dialogue with both the global and regional issues on the agenda. Namely, attaching particular importance to the ASEAN Post-Ministerial Conference, and laying great value on the vice-ministerial talks of the Japan/ ASEAN Forum as ,ell as our various bilateral talks with the ASEAN countries, Japan wishes to cooperate with the ASEAN countries on such issues as follows.


Cooperation in political sphere

As to ARF, Japan would like to cooperate with ASEAN in fostering a three-stage development of ARF; the promotion of confidence building, development of preventive diplomacy and elaboration of approaches to conflicts. The territorial and jurisdictional dispute in the South China Sea could be properly taken up in ARF. As for the Asia Europe Meeting which is expected to be held next year, Japan will cooperate in realizing this concept in a constructive manner so that it ,ill be conducive to a further development of cooperation throughout the entire Asia Pacific region. Further, Japan intends to provide possible assistance to Vietnam on this occasion of her accession to ASEAN.

In parallel with those regional cooperation, I believe it is also necessary for us to deal with global issues. We in Asia can perhaps be shown as a model for the world of how the fruits from economic development can be used for further prosperity and development. We should make efforts for the universal participation in the United Nations Register of Conventional Arms. The future course of nuclear disarmament has been delineated on the decision to extend NPT indefinitely. It is important for us to cooperate to seek the ultimate elimination of nuclear weapons. As for nuclear testing, Japan strongly requests its suspension and is determined to complete negotiations on comprehensive test-ban treaty next year. In this connection, solving North Korea's nuclear weapons development issue is important not only for the security of the region, but also for strengthening the international regime of-nuclear non-proliferation. We are expecting, therefore, that the ASEAN countries would participate in KEDO and extend their positive support, including financial contributions, We would also like to carry on discussions with the ASEAN countries regarding the UN reform including the reform of the Security Council.


Cooperation in economic sphere

Since 1986 the total amount of trade between Japan and the ASEAN countries has been consistently increasing, and last year Japan's total trade with ASEAN accounted for about 15% of her world trade. Besides, although Japan's direct investment in the ASEAN countries decreased for a period, the trend was reversed last year and investment has once again,, started to increase. For the further economic prosperity of the ASEAN countries and Japan, the expansion of still more reciprocal trade and investment is important. Japan, through deregulation's and other measures, is endeavoring to increase domestic demand, and we anticipate that those measures. coupled with liberalization and facilitation of trade and investment promoted by APEC, would give impetus to the increase of imports from the ASEAN countries. On the other hand, we look forward to self-help efforts of the ASEAN side such as the further deregulation of foreign investment, the development of the industrial infrastructure and other measures to improve the investment environment. along with the strengthening of human resources development. As to the much argued appreciation of Japanese yen, it is exerting effect of improving the report-competitiveness of ASEAN and stimulating the direct investment from Japan. At this Juncture, in September this year, the ASEAN Trade, investment, and Tourism Promotion Centre plans to hold the ASEAN Fair in Osaka. With the good cooperation, of all ASEAN countries, we earnestly wish for its success.

As far as the economic cooperation, Japan considers the ASEAN countries as the region of top priority. The cumulative total of Japan's bilateral aid extended to the countries of ASEAN by 1994 exceeds 26 billion dollars. Japan should like to carry out its assistance with utmost care basing on the variegated situations of each country, and hope that it be a contributing factor for even greater economic growth and lead to redress such distortions as the problems of environment and of poverty as arising from rapid economic development. Moreover, ASEAN's South- South cooperation is actively pursued, and Japan intends to support such favorable movement positively. In particular, regarding the follow-up to the Ministerial Meeting of the Forum for Development of Indochina which Japan hosted this February, we would like to cooperate more with the countries of ASEAN.

The ASEAN countries and Japan must tackle pressing issues through good coordination in securing the prosperity of the Asia Pacific region and the world. To achieve sustainable growth of the world economy it is indispensable to maintain and strengthen the multilateral free trading system, with the World Trade Organization (WTO), at its center. It is essential that Japan and ASEAN, both having achieved economic growth through the benefits of free trade, should fully implement the WTO Agreement, and play active roles in the WTO. Concerning APEC, the Osaka Meetings aim to formulate, from the mid- to long-term, an "Action Agenda" for promoting liberalization and facilitation of trade and investment, as well as for strengthening economic and technical cooperation within the region. Japan, as the APEC Chair this year, will exert all efforts to produce solid results, and wait most earnestly cooperation by the ASEAN countries in this regard.


Cooperation in multifaceted spheres

It is as equally important to strengthen Japan- ASEAN dialogues and coordination in areas outside of the afore-mentioned political and economic spheres. For issues of regional as well as global implication, such as environment, population, and drug problems, cooperation on both sides is of vital significance. Furthermore, let me refer to the "Peace, Friendship, and Exchange Initiative" of Japan. It aims to foster further mutual understanding and confidence with the neighboring countries of Asia and elsewhere by implementing projects worth an equivalent of 100 billion yen over the coming ten years from this fiscal year. Under this initiative scheduled are such programs as, intellectual exchange and interchange of youths, as well as support for historical research.


Conclusion

Ladies and Gentlemen,

Based upon further Japan-ASEAN cooperation in the areas I outlined above, we wish to steadily march forward into the future. At this conference last year, I expressed Japan's wish to continue to be "a friend who walks together side by side with ASEAN", let me say in concluding that this feeling of mine is even stronger this year.

Thank you.