11 June 2007 - NATO PARLIAMENTARIANS VISIT JAPAN TO DISCUSS TRADE, DEVELOPMENT AND SECURITY

The delegation will have meetings at the National Diet, the Foreign, Defence, Economy and International Trade, and Finance Ministries. It will also have discussions with Ms Yuriko Koike, the National Security Advisor to the Prime Minister, officials from the European Commission’s delegation to Japan, as well as a variety of other diplomatic and commercial representatives.

The Sub-Committee has been considering a report, drafted by Co-Rapporteurs US Congressman John Boozman and Lithuanian MP Petras Austrevicius on the rapidly changing East Asian economic and security systems. The delegation expects the visit to generate information for the revision and updating of that report which will be considered for adoption this October at the Assembly’s annual session in Iceland.

The NATO PA’s Economics and Security Committee has been focusing on Asia for the past three years, and in that time, has also produced two reports on China which are also posted on the NATO PA website.

In view of the many security concerns shared by Japan and NATO, participating parliamentarians are interested in exploring ways in which this ever-more important bilateral relationship might be strengthened. They also expect to learn more about Japan’s views on development aid and regional security issues, including assessments of the situation in North Korea.