Press Release
Japanese Foreign Minister Aso’s Speech
Embassy of Japan
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On February 28, Japanese Foreign Minister Taro Aso delivered a speech organized by the Middle East Research Institute of Japan, entitled “Middle East Policy As I See It.”
In this speech, Foreign Minister Aso stated, “I want the peoples of the Middle East – and by that I mean the Middle Eastern region in the larger sense, from Afghanistan to northern Africa – to know what exactly it is that Japan treats as invaluable. Then, one day, I would like the people of the Middle East to hold those same ideals in common.”
Then Foreign Minister Aso explained his thoughts on what Japan should do in order to assist in steering the Middle East region as a whole to greater stability, including various concrete proposals: creating a Corridor for Peace and Prosperity from the West Bank to the Gulf states, strengthening the relationship with the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) states through a Free Trade Agreement with GCC, and human resource development and education.
The transcript of the entire speech is available at: http://www.mofa.go.jp/region/middle_e/address0702.html
[Other speeches by Foreign Minister Aso] * Policy Speech to the 166 th Session of the Diet ( January 26, 2007 ) http://www.mofa.go.jp/announce/fm/aso/speech0701.html
* Speech on the Occasion of the Japan Institute of International Affairs Seminar “Arc of Freedom and Prosperity: Japan ’s Expanding Diplomatic Horizons” ( November 30, 2006 ) http://www.mofa.go.jp/announce/fm/aso/speech0611.html
* Remarks at the 43 rd Japan-U.S. Business Conference at Imperial Hotel, Tokyo ( November 13, 2006 ) http://www.mofa.go.jp/region/n-america/us/remark0611.html
* Archive of Foreign Minister Aso’s speeches and statements http://www.mofa.go.jp/announce/fm/index.html
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