ID :
169398
Sat, 03/19/2011 - 16:49
Auther :
Shortlink :
https://oananews.org//node/169398
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Japan, China, S. Korea to promote disaster response cooperation+
KYOTO, March 19 Kyodo -
The foreign ministers of Japan, China and South Korea agreed Saturday in Kyoto to boost their cooperation in responding to disasters and securing the safety of nuclear power generation, after a killer earthquake and tsunami hit Japan last week and triggered a crisis at a nuclear power station in Fukushima Prefecture.
Foreign Minister Takeaki Matsumoto, Chinese Foreign Minister Yang Jiechi and South Korean Foreign Affairs and Trade Minister Kim Sung Hwan endorsed the trilateral cooperation to better respond to major disasters and ensure the safety of atomic power by drawing on Japan's current experience, a Japanese official said.
The three countries will seek to achieve some progress in this area by the time their top leaders meet in Japan possibly in May for the next trilateral summit, Matsumoto said.
''I proposed bolstering (trilateral) cooperation on such matters as disaster-related information sharing and establishing a better coordination system to accept relief assistance'' from other countries, the Japanese foreign minister said. ''I hope we can substantiate this idea toward the summit meeting.''
At the outset of the talks, the three foreign ministers offered silent prayers for the thousands of people killed in the magnitude 9.0 quake and ensuing tsunami in northeastern and eastern Japan on March 11.
Matsumoto expressed gratitude for the dispatch of relief teams and supplies by China and South Korea following the massive earthquake, and explained Japan's resolve to overcome the difficult challenges it is facing.
''Anxiety and uncertainties have been growing over economic and corporate activities in Japan...but I would say the fundamentals supporting our economic activities have not been shaken,'' he said.
Matsumoto said Yang and Kim asked Japan to swiftly provide information on the unfolding Fukushima nuclear crisis and the Japanese foreign minister assured them that Tokyo will try to improve its communications.
The Japanese foreign minister told his counterparts he is personally not optimistic about how the nuclear crisis is unfolding, but the government is making all-out efforts to bring the situation under control.
The three foreign ministers also aired concerns over North Korea's uranium enrichment activities, which were revealed last November, Matsumoto said.
The three ministers held a one-day meeting at the Kyoto State Guest House in the ancient Japanese capital to lay the groundwork for the trilateral leaders' summit.
On the economic front, they called for an early conclusion of negotiations to seal a trilateral pact to facilitate investment and significant progress regarding a study on signing a three-way free trade agreement.
Prior to the trilateral meeting, Matsumoto, who assumed the foreign minister's post earlier this month, held his first face-to-face bilateral talks with Kim and Yang.
Both Kim and Yang said their countries think of the tragedy that struck Japan as their own and vowed to provide necessary support to meet the needs of people affected by the disaster.
The three-way annual summit, which was launched in 2008, has discussed promoting cooperation among the three major Asian economies in 13 areas including trade, energy, environment, tourism, technology, logistics, health and disaster preparedness.
The foreign ministers of Japan, China and South Korea agreed Saturday in Kyoto to boost their cooperation in responding to disasters and securing the safety of nuclear power generation, after a killer earthquake and tsunami hit Japan last week and triggered a crisis at a nuclear power station in Fukushima Prefecture.
Foreign Minister Takeaki Matsumoto, Chinese Foreign Minister Yang Jiechi and South Korean Foreign Affairs and Trade Minister Kim Sung Hwan endorsed the trilateral cooperation to better respond to major disasters and ensure the safety of atomic power by drawing on Japan's current experience, a Japanese official said.
The three countries will seek to achieve some progress in this area by the time their top leaders meet in Japan possibly in May for the next trilateral summit, Matsumoto said.
''I proposed bolstering (trilateral) cooperation on such matters as disaster-related information sharing and establishing a better coordination system to accept relief assistance'' from other countries, the Japanese foreign minister said. ''I hope we can substantiate this idea toward the summit meeting.''
At the outset of the talks, the three foreign ministers offered silent prayers for the thousands of people killed in the magnitude 9.0 quake and ensuing tsunami in northeastern and eastern Japan on March 11.
Matsumoto expressed gratitude for the dispatch of relief teams and supplies by China and South Korea following the massive earthquake, and explained Japan's resolve to overcome the difficult challenges it is facing.
''Anxiety and uncertainties have been growing over economic and corporate activities in Japan...but I would say the fundamentals supporting our economic activities have not been shaken,'' he said.
Matsumoto said Yang and Kim asked Japan to swiftly provide information on the unfolding Fukushima nuclear crisis and the Japanese foreign minister assured them that Tokyo will try to improve its communications.
The Japanese foreign minister told his counterparts he is personally not optimistic about how the nuclear crisis is unfolding, but the government is making all-out efforts to bring the situation under control.
The three foreign ministers also aired concerns over North Korea's uranium enrichment activities, which were revealed last November, Matsumoto said.
The three ministers held a one-day meeting at the Kyoto State Guest House in the ancient Japanese capital to lay the groundwork for the trilateral leaders' summit.
On the economic front, they called for an early conclusion of negotiations to seal a trilateral pact to facilitate investment and significant progress regarding a study on signing a three-way free trade agreement.
Prior to the trilateral meeting, Matsumoto, who assumed the foreign minister's post earlier this month, held his first face-to-face bilateral talks with Kim and Yang.
Both Kim and Yang said their countries think of the tragedy that struck Japan as their own and vowed to provide necessary support to meet the needs of people affected by the disaster.
The three-way annual summit, which was launched in 2008, has discussed promoting cooperation among the three major Asian economies in 13 areas including trade, energy, environment, tourism, technology, logistics, health and disaster preparedness.
