Tokyo already prepares for APEC meetings next year

JAKARTA (JP): Japan, which will take over the chairmanship of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) from Indonesia on Jan. 1, is already preparing the agenda for next year.

Japan's Ambassador to APEC, Tetsuya Endo, told The Jakarta Post yesterday that Tokyo had started made preparations for a series of meetings of senior officials.

"We've made preparations for the first Senior Officials Meeting of APEC in Japan next year and we have reported them to the SOM meeting here," Endo said yesterday.

He added that the first SOM meeting will be held in Fukuoka in February , the second in Sapporo, Hokaido in May, the third either in Tokyo or Yokohama in September and the fourth one in Osaka in November.

Endo said it was too early to comment on the agenda of next year's SOM meetings. But the most important thing is that " we are now ready to host APEC meetings next year," he said.

Meanwhile, Japan's Ambassador Taizo Watanabe here and his staff have been working overtime since the last few weeks to prepare for Japan's participation in the APEC meetings which will be capped by the informal leaders summit in Bogor on Nov.15.

The Japanese embassy has assigned at least 60 staff members, including those from Surabaya and Bali, to make preparations for Japan's 200-member delegation and more than 250 journalists.

Thirty other support staff members came from Japan and ten others from Japanese embassies in other countries.

Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Yohei Kono and Minister of International Trade and Industry Ryutaro Hashimoto who will lead the Japanese delegation at the APEC Ministerial Meeting beginning on Friday are expected here on Thursday afternoon.

A special media center has been set up at the Ball Room of Sahid Jaya Hotel where the Japanese journalists are also headquartered.

"Most of our official delegates will stay at the Hilton Hotel. But some officials who need to be in constant communications with the embassy will stay at the President Hotel (located directly across the embassy)," Watanabe said.

Prime Minister Tomiichi Murayama, who according to informed sources, will arrive here three days before the leaders meeting, will not be accompanied by Mrs. Yoshie Murayama but by his daughter Nakahara.

Meeting

Mr. Murayama also schedules a bilateral meeting with President Soeharto because since he became the Prime Minister on June 30, 1994, he has never made a visit to Indonesia.

Mr. Murayama, though, has visited Singapore, Thailand, Malaysia and the Philippines. He did not include Indonesia in his previous Southeast Asian tour because he has scheduled a visit here in coincidence with the APEC leaders meeting.

The Japanese leader, according to informed sources, also plans to meet with American President Bill Clinton to discuss issues related to their trade frictions.

Indonesian and Japanese businessmen will also have a special meeting on Nov.13 which will be attended by Japanese Minister of International Trade and Industry Ryutaro Hashimoto and several Indonesian ministers.

Watanabe, however, is doubtful whether Mr. Murayama could have a special gathering with the Japanese community in Jakarta in view of his tight schedule.

Mr. Murayama plans to hold a news conference at the Hilton Hotel or Jakarta Convention Center on Nov.15 evening a few hours before he returns to Tokyo. (fhp/vin)