Clinton sorry over Hosakawa resignation

Clinton sorry over Hosakawa resignation

MINNEAPOLIS (Agencies): President Clinton was sorry to hear of
the resignation of Japanese Prime Minister Morihiro Hosokawa, the
White House said yesterday.

Hosokawa announced early yesterday that he was resigning to
take responsibility for a flap over controversial personal loans
that has paralyzed parliament.

"The president has been informed and is sorry to hear the news
of the resignation," White House spokeswoman Ginny Terzano said.

"The president has enjoyed a good and candid relationship,"
with the prime minister, she said, reading from a statement.
Terzano said Clinton and Hosokawa had worked together
successfully on many issues.

She added that Clinton, who had not spoken to Hosokawa about
the resignation, looked forward to working with the Japanese
leader's successor.

Clinton, beset with his own problems over a controversial
investment by his family in a failed Arkansas land deal, is in
Minneapolis as part of a campaign to sell his health care reform
plan.

In Jakarta, Indonesia expressed its hopes that Japanese Prime
Minister Morihiro Hosokawa's resignation will not affect economic
relations between the two countries.

"We always monitor political developments in Japan and hope
that the good relations between the two countries will not be
disturbed because of Prime Minister Hosokawa's resignation,
especially economic relations," Foreign Ministry spokesman Irawan
Abidin said in a brief statement.

He added that Indonesia also hopes Japan will continue to
support and participate in the next Asia-Pacific Economic Forum
in November, to be held in Indonesia.

Indonesian State Secretary Moerdiono expressed his surprise at
Hosokawa's resignation.

"I'm very surprised," he told reporters at the State Palace.

AFP, quoting the presidential spokesman, reported from Seoul
that South Korean President Kim Young-Sam will telephone former
Japanese Prime Minister Morihiro Hosokawa yesterday to "reaffirm
his personal friendship and trust".

The South Korean President, who made a state visit to Japan
last month and has been in constant consultation with Hosokawa
over the North Korean nuclear impasse, would make the personal
call at about 6 p.m. (09:00 GMT), his spokesman said.

The first

Kim was the first foreign head of state to congratulate
Hosokawa when he scraped through a close no-confidence vote on a
compromise with the Liberal Democrats.

In Beijing, China said yesterday it hoped relations with Japan
would continue to develop "steadily and soundly" despite
Hosokawa's resignation.

"Prime Minister Hosokawa has made precious efforts for
promoting the development of friendly relations between China and
Japan," said a foreign ministry spokeswoman, adding that the
announcement of his resignation yesterday was Japan's "internal
affair."

"We hope that Sino-Japanese relations will continue steadily
and soundly," she said.

Eight months after coming to power as an anti-graft crusader,
Hosokawa announced his resignation Friday amid persistent charges
that he received a dubious loan and made questionable stock
transactions.

Hosokawa said at a news conference that he was resigning
because of an unidentified "legal problem."