[MakkabI]
January 16th, 2005, 07:30 PM
The Japanese foreign minister on Sunday asked Israel to end weapons sales to Japan's neighbors, but said Japan wants to expand defense cooperation with Israel.
Foreign Minister Nobutaka Machimura is in the region for talks with both the Israelis and the Palestinians. Machimura said Japan wanted to play a greater role in the Middle East peace process.
Speaking at a news conference, Machimura said that in talks with his Foreign Minister Silvan Shalom, he passed the request to end arms sales to east Asian countries.
Machimura said his government had recently made similar requests to Russia and the European Union. He did not specify which countries Japan was concerned about.
In recent days Israel has been embroiled in a row with the United States over the sale of Israeli pilotless planes to China.
The Japanese minister said the talks with Shalom also focused on expanding cooperation between the two countries in counter-terror expertise and defense.
In December, Japan approved new defense guidelines that include the relaxation of an arms export ban to facilitate a missile security program it is researching with Washington.
Israel has the only operational anti-missile defense system, the Arrow, developed jointly with the United States.
In its new defense guidelines, the Japanese government identified North Korea's nuclear weapons ambitions and China's modernization of its huge military as threats to Japan.
Japan's constitution, unchanged since it was written by U.S. occupation forces after World War II, renounces war and the use of force in settling international disputes.
During the talks Sunday, Shalom said the two countries agreed to work toward a bilateral trade of $3 billion in the next five years, up from the current $1.8 billion.
Both countries also extended invitations to their prime ministers to visit each other.
Earlier in the day, Machimura met with the newly elected Palestinian leader, Mahmoud Abbas, and Palestinian Foreign Minister Nabil Shaath in Ramallah. Machimura also invited Abbas to visit Japan.
Machimura said Japan wanted to help bring Israel and the Palestinians back to the negotiating table.
He also said Japan had donated $60 million for humanitarian relief in the Palestinian areas.
http://www.haaretz.com/hasite/images/iht_daily/D160105/japan_147.jpg
Japanese Foreign Minister Nobutaka Machimura, left, shaking hands with Foreign Minister Silvan Shalom at a press conference in Jerusalem on Sunday
Foreign Minister Nobutaka Machimura is in the region for talks with both the Israelis and the Palestinians. Machimura said Japan wanted to play a greater role in the Middle East peace process.
Speaking at a news conference, Machimura said that in talks with his Foreign Minister Silvan Shalom, he passed the request to end arms sales to east Asian countries.
Machimura said his government had recently made similar requests to Russia and the European Union. He did not specify which countries Japan was concerned about.
In recent days Israel has been embroiled in a row with the United States over the sale of Israeli pilotless planes to China.
The Japanese minister said the talks with Shalom also focused on expanding cooperation between the two countries in counter-terror expertise and defense.
In December, Japan approved new defense guidelines that include the relaxation of an arms export ban to facilitate a missile security program it is researching with Washington.
Israel has the only operational anti-missile defense system, the Arrow, developed jointly with the United States.
In its new defense guidelines, the Japanese government identified North Korea's nuclear weapons ambitions and China's modernization of its huge military as threats to Japan.
Japan's constitution, unchanged since it was written by U.S. occupation forces after World War II, renounces war and the use of force in settling international disputes.
During the talks Sunday, Shalom said the two countries agreed to work toward a bilateral trade of $3 billion in the next five years, up from the current $1.8 billion.
Both countries also extended invitations to their prime ministers to visit each other.
Earlier in the day, Machimura met with the newly elected Palestinian leader, Mahmoud Abbas, and Palestinian Foreign Minister Nabil Shaath in Ramallah. Machimura also invited Abbas to visit Japan.
Machimura said Japan wanted to help bring Israel and the Palestinians back to the negotiating table.
He also said Japan had donated $60 million for humanitarian relief in the Palestinian areas.
http://www.haaretz.com/hasite/images/iht_daily/D160105/japan_147.jpg
Japanese Foreign Minister Nobutaka Machimura, left, shaking hands with Foreign Minister Silvan Shalom at a press conference in Jerusalem on Sunday