Aso holds bilateral talks with Pacific island leaders to boost ties

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SHIMUKAPPU, Japan, May 22 Kyodo -
Japanese Prime Minister Taro Aso on Friday held separate talks with the leaders
of Pacific island nations and agreed to strengthen bilateral ties in areas such
as tourism and economy, Japanese Foreign Ministry officials said.
On the sidelines of the fifth Japan-Pacific Islands Forum summit in Shimukappu,
Hokkaido, Aso met the leaders of the Solomon Islands, Samoa, Nauru, Tuvalu, the
Marshall Islands and Tonga.
By meeting with each of the leaders participating in the summit, Aso is aiming
to enhance Tokyo's ties with the countries, which have votes at the United
Nations, as Japan seeks to become a permanent member of the U.N. Security
Council.
In talks with Derek Sikua, prime minister of the Solomon Islands, Sikua
expressed appreciation for Japan's support in the fields of fishery, health,
energy and education and said that the country would like to boost bilateral
trade investment, the officials said.
Sikua also told Aso that the country supports Japan's bid to become a permanent
member of the U.N. Security Council as Japan is making major contributions to
peace and security in the Asia-Pacific region, the officials said.
In talks with Samoan Prime Minister Tuilaepa Sailele Malielegaoi, Aso expressed
hope that exchanges between the two countries would be enhanced through tourism
and called for setting up a tourism promotion forum to encourage Japanese
tourists to visit the Pacific islands, the officials said.
Earlier this week, Aso held talks separately in Tokyo with the leaders of
Kiribati, Papua New Guinea and Vanuatu.
==Kyodo