Obuchi to pledge continued support at ASEAN meeting

Obuchi to pledge continued support at ASEAN meeting

TOKYO (AFP): Japan's Premier Keizo Obuchi will pledge his support for Asia and promise to revive his nation's economy at a summit of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations next week, a report said Tuesday.

When he meets with ASEAN leaders in Hanoi, Obuchi will vow to "promote dialogue and cooperation toward the 21st century," the Nihon Keizai Shimbun said.

Obuchi will also offer to help the Asian nations tackle problems with environment, poverty, terrorism and refugees, the daily said.

The Japanese premier is to assure the region's leaders that Tokyo will pull itself out of recession and bring growth next year. That comes despite the warnings of economists here who say a recovery may not come for at least another two years.

Japan's recession has been blamed for delaying Asian countries' own recovery from their financial crisis.

Obuchi is also to call on ASEAN members to speed up their application for both Japan's US$30 billion rescue package for the region and U.S.-Japan financial assistance measures worth $5 billion, the daily said.

The Japanese prime minister is scheduled to leave Tokyo for Hanoi on Tuesday next week and hold a meeting with ASEAN leaders in Hanoi on Dec. 16, and meet Vietnamese President Tran Duc Luong on Dec. 17.

On the sidelines of the ASEAN meeting, Obuchi will hold talks with China's vice president Hu Jintao and South Korean President Kim Dae-jung separately, government officials said.

The Japanese premier is to visit Ho Chi Minh City before returning to Tokyo on December 18, the officials said.

ASEAN groups Brunei, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam.

The group has invited leaders from China, Japan and South Korea for the second year in a row to meet with ASEAN leaders after the annual summit.