Mahathir arrives in Japan

Mahathir arrives in Japan

JAPAN: Malaysian Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad arrived on
Thursday morning for a five-day state visit, Japan's Foreign
Ministry said.

The prime minister met with Emperor Akihito and Empress
Michiko and was to meet Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi later in
the day. He was also to attend a reception hosted by Foreign
Minister Yoriko Kawaguchi in the evening.

While in Japan, Mahathir is due to deliver the keynote speech
at a symposium on the 20th anniversary of his "Look East" policy
of having Malaysia learn from the economic successes of Japan and
South Korea.

Mahathir announced the policy four months after he took office
in 1981, urging his nation to emulate the work ethic of Japanese
and South Koreans. It included student exchanges with East Asian
universities and sending workers to Japan and South Korea for
training.

The prime minister will also deliver the keynote speech at a
symposium on "Islam: Fostering Peace and Dialogue in an
Interdependent World" sponsored by the Organization of the
Islamic Conference in Japan and United Nations University.

He will travel to the northern city of Sendai on Friday and
depart Japan on Monday. -- AP