Japanese PM's Visit to Brazil

UNCLAS BRASILIA 002392 SIPDIS E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: PGOV ETRD BR SUBJECT: Japanese PM's Visit to Brazil 1.(U) Japanese Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi, on his first trip to Latin America, visited Brazil from September 14-16. Prime Minister Koizumi spent two days in Sao Paulo meeting with representatives from business, government, and the local Japanese-Brazilian community. He then met in Braslia with Brazilian President Luiz Incio Lula da Silva. 2.(U) Highlights of the Prime Minister's visit included: --(U) PM Koizumi's calls for stronger commercial cooperation between Japan and Latin America: The Prime Minister cited the recently signed Japan-Mexico free trade agreement as an indication of Japan's commercial interest in the resource-rich region. While rumors of a similar ilar bilateral trade agreement between Japan and Brazil circulated prior to and during the Prime Minister's visit, the only trade-related announcement involved the renewal of mango exports from Brazil to Japan. --(U) Koizumi's request for Brazil's support in pushing forward the Doha round of WTO negotiations. The PM made the request in a speech before government and business leaders in Sao Paulo. [Comment: Brazil has proven itself a key player in marshalling developing countries against agricultural subsidies by the U.S., E.U., and Japan. Through its leadership in the G-20 and as one of the Five Interested Parties (FIPs),Brazil was instrumental in setting up an August 2004 agreement on a framework for future WTO negotiations. End comment] --(U) An announcement, made jointly by PM Koizumi and President Lula, of mutual support for U.N. Security Council reform that would include permanent seats for both Brazil and Japan. [Comment: Both Japan, the whose contributions s to the U.N. are second only to those of the U.S., and Brazil, the largest and most populous country in Latin America, have been seeking permanent spots on the Security Council as recognition of their regional and global clout. End comment] --(U) In addition to seeing a first cousin who immigrated to Brazil in the 1950's, the Prime Minister stopped at the Museum of Japanese Immigration and met with ethnic community leaders in Sao Paulo. Hearing the saga of the ethnic Japanese in Brazil, who currently number approximately 1.4. million, left the Prime Minister in tears. DANILOVICH