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