ID :
175704
Fri, 04/15/2011 - 19:40
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https://oananews.org//node/175704
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Matsumoto to visit U.S., Europe, Africa from April 29
TOKYO, April 15 Kyodo - Foreign Minister Takeaki Matsumoto is planning to embark on a six-day trip to the United States, Germany, Senegal and Belgium from April 29 for talks with his counterparts on issues such as security and economic cooperation as well as nuclear disarmament and nonproliferation, government sources said Friday.
His trip during the Golden Week holidays in Japan will begin with a one-day stay in Washington, where the minister is expected to discuss with U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and Defense Secretary Robert Gates ways to deepen the Japan-U.S. security alliance.
Matsumoto also intends to meet with representatives of the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission in relation to the ongoing crisis at the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant, which was triggered by the March 11 massive quake and tsunami, they said.
The Japanese and U.S. governments had earlier scheduled a meeting of their foreign and defense ministers on April 29.
But they have postponed the so-called ''two-plus-two'' security talks as Japanese Defense Minister Toshimi Kitazawa is required to stay in Japan to deal with the aftermath of the twin disasters.
In Berlin, Matsumoto will attend a meeting of nonnuclear states on April 30 to promote nuclear disarmament and nonproliferation, which was launched last September under the initiative of Japan and Australia as a step toward eventually realizing a world without nuclear weapons.
In Senegal's capital Dakar, Matsumoto will co-chair a ministerial meeting on May 1 to follow up on the Tokyo International Conference on African Development, which was last held in Yokohama in 2008. He is expected to convey Tokyo's gratitude to African nations that have offered support to disaster-hit Japan.
On May 2, Matsumoto will meet with ministers of the European Union in Brussels to talk about the launch of negotiations to seal a free trade agreement between Japan and the 27-nation regional bloc.
He will separately hold talks with European Commission President Jose Manuel Barroso and European Commissioner for Trade Karel De Gucht before returning to Japan on May 4, the sources said.
His trip during the Golden Week holidays in Japan will begin with a one-day stay in Washington, where the minister is expected to discuss with U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and Defense Secretary Robert Gates ways to deepen the Japan-U.S. security alliance.
Matsumoto also intends to meet with representatives of the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission in relation to the ongoing crisis at the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant, which was triggered by the March 11 massive quake and tsunami, they said.
The Japanese and U.S. governments had earlier scheduled a meeting of their foreign and defense ministers on April 29.
But they have postponed the so-called ''two-plus-two'' security talks as Japanese Defense Minister Toshimi Kitazawa is required to stay in Japan to deal with the aftermath of the twin disasters.
In Berlin, Matsumoto will attend a meeting of nonnuclear states on April 30 to promote nuclear disarmament and nonproliferation, which was launched last September under the initiative of Japan and Australia as a step toward eventually realizing a world without nuclear weapons.
In Senegal's capital Dakar, Matsumoto will co-chair a ministerial meeting on May 1 to follow up on the Tokyo International Conference on African Development, which was last held in Yokohama in 2008. He is expected to convey Tokyo's gratitude to African nations that have offered support to disaster-hit Japan.
On May 2, Matsumoto will meet with ministers of the European Union in Brussels to talk about the launch of negotiations to seal a free trade agreement between Japan and the 27-nation regional bloc.
He will separately hold talks with European Commission President Jose Manuel Barroso and European Commissioner for Trade Karel De Gucht before returning to Japan on May 4, the sources said.
