Tokyo already prepares for APEC meetings next year

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)