Japanese FM Awaiting President Khatami's Visit
October 28, 2000 - 0:0
TOKYO Iran's President Hojjatoleslam Mohammad Khatami is to arrive here on a four-day state visit next Tuesday.
"His historic visit," said Japan's Foreign Minister Yohei Kono here Friday, "is the fruit of development of friendly relations between Tokyo and Tehran." Khatami's visit to the Japanese capital is the first by an Iranian head of state in 42 years. Khatami is to meet with Japanese Prime Minister Yoshiro Mori to discuss economic and political ties between Iran and Japan and also with Emperor Akihito, and Japanese business leaders, Kono told IRNA.
He is also to receive an honorary doctorate from a technological university of Japan, he said.
Kono noted that Japan supports reforms initiated by President Khatami which encourages dialogue within the international community of nations and governments, and detente. He touched on the ongoing crisis in Iran's neighboring Afghanistan, fighting terrorism and drugs, preventing expansion of weapons of mass destruction, security in the Persian Gulf region, Middle East peace process and oil price stability as topics to negotiate with the Iranian president. Last Tuesday, he told IRNA that Japan is Iran's largest trade partner and 10 percent of its oil requirements is supplied by Iran. Therefore, he noted, "the economies of Iran and Japan are interdependent.
" Kono said during a visit to the Japanese capital by Iran's Foreign Minister Kamal Kharrazi last year Japan offered a medium-term credit line to Iran. He added the Japanese government encourages Japanese firms to invest in Iran. Meanwhile, Kyodo news agency of Japan said Thursday that President Khatami would address Japan's Lower House of Parliament during his visit to Japan, the second foreign leader after South Korean President Kim Dae-Jung who did so in October 1998. Japan relies heavily on oil imports for its energy needs, and Iran is its third-largest oil supplier.
The two nations exchanged documents finalizing a loan of 7.5 billion yen ($69.31 million) in Tehran on October 8 to help complete a hydroelectric dam in Iran's Khuzestan Province. Japan has also offered mercantile insurance to an Iranian telecom project involving Japanese companies, the first since 1992. The Ministry of International Trade and Industry (MITI) of Japan has extended medium and long-term insurance for a 1.82 billion yen project to expand a cell phone network that Tehran contracted out to a merger of NEC and Sumitomo last October.
(IRNA)
"His historic visit," said Japan's Foreign Minister Yohei Kono here Friday, "is the fruit of development of friendly relations between Tokyo and Tehran." Khatami's visit to the Japanese capital is the first by an Iranian head of state in 42 years. Khatami is to meet with Japanese Prime Minister Yoshiro Mori to discuss economic and political ties between Iran and Japan and also with Emperor Akihito, and Japanese business leaders, Kono told IRNA.
He is also to receive an honorary doctorate from a technological university of Japan, he said.
Kono noted that Japan supports reforms initiated by President Khatami which encourages dialogue within the international community of nations and governments, and detente. He touched on the ongoing crisis in Iran's neighboring Afghanistan, fighting terrorism and drugs, preventing expansion of weapons of mass destruction, security in the Persian Gulf region, Middle East peace process and oil price stability as topics to negotiate with the Iranian president. Last Tuesday, he told IRNA that Japan is Iran's largest trade partner and 10 percent of its oil requirements is supplied by Iran. Therefore, he noted, "the economies of Iran and Japan are interdependent.
" Kono said during a visit to the Japanese capital by Iran's Foreign Minister Kamal Kharrazi last year Japan offered a medium-term credit line to Iran. He added the Japanese government encourages Japanese firms to invest in Iran. Meanwhile, Kyodo news agency of Japan said Thursday that President Khatami would address Japan's Lower House of Parliament during his visit to Japan, the second foreign leader after South Korean President Kim Dae-Jung who did so in October 1998. Japan relies heavily on oil imports for its energy needs, and Iran is its third-largest oil supplier.
The two nations exchanged documents finalizing a loan of 7.5 billion yen ($69.31 million) in Tehran on October 8 to help complete a hydroelectric dam in Iran's Khuzestan Province. Japan has also offered mercantile insurance to an Iranian telecom project involving Japanese companies, the first since 1992. The Ministry of International Trade and Industry (MITI) of Japan has extended medium and long-term insurance for a 1.82 billion yen project to expand a cell phone network that Tehran contracted out to a merger of NEC and Sumitomo last October.
(IRNA)