Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
07TOKYO5539
2007-12-13 01:31:00
CONFIDENTIAL
Embassy Tokyo
Cable title:  

KYRGYZ PRESIDENT PAYS LOW-KEY VISIT TO JAPAN

Tags:  PREL EAID KY JA 
pdf how-to read a cable
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RR RUEHWEB

DE RUEHKO #5539/01 3470131
ZNY CCCCC ZZH
R 130131Z DEC 07
FM AMEMBASSY TOKYO
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 0262
INFO RUEHAH/AMEMBASSY ASHGABAT 0148
RUEHAE/AMEMBASSY ASMARA 0081
RUEHBJ/AMEMBASSY BEIJING 0616
RUEHEK/AMEMBASSY BISHKEK 0187
RUEHDBU/AMEMBASSY DUSHANBE
RUEHBUL/AMEMBASSY KABUL 0542
RUEHMO/AMEMBASSY MOSCOW 2010
RUEHUL/AMEMBASSY SEOUL 6658
RUEHNT/AMEMBASSY TASHKENT 0235
C O N F I D E N T I A L TOKYO 005539 

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 12/10/2017
TAGS: PREL EAID KY JA
SUBJECT: KYRGYZ PRESIDENT PAYS LOW-KEY VISIT TO JAPAN

Classified By: Ambassador J. Thomas Schieffer for reasons 1.4 (B & D)

C O N F I D E N T I A L TOKYO 005539

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 12/10/2017
TAGS: PREL EAID KY JA
SUBJECT: KYRGYZ PRESIDENT PAYS LOW-KEY VISIT TO JAPAN

Classified By: Ambassador J. Thomas Schieffer for reasons 1.4 (B & D)


1. (C) SUMMARY. Kyrgyz President Kurmanbek Bakiev paid a
low-key visit to Tokyo November 14-16 during which he met
with Prime Minister Yasuo Fukuda, the Emperor, and Minister
of Administrative Reform Yoshimi Watanabe, whose father,
former Foreign Minister Michio Watanabe, was the first senior
level Japanese official to visit Kyrgystan following its
independence in 1992. Japanese officials termed the visit
"routine." In a joint statement following their meeting,
Prime Minister Fukuda and President Bakiev agreed to enhance
bilateral and regional relations. Japan pledged to continue
to provide ODA and Bakiev promised to continue to promote
democratization and market economics in Kyrgystan. END
SUMMARY.


2. (C) President Bakiev, accompanied by Mrs. Bakiev, arrived
in Japan November 14 as a "distinguished guest for a working
visit", according to Keisuke Tamura, Deputy Director of
MOFA's Central Asia and Caucasus Division. Tamura told
Embassy Tokyo Political Officer the visit was part of a
routine rotation that brings Central Asian leaders to Japan.
The last Kyrgyz head of state visit to Japan took place in
April 2004 when President Akaev came to Tokyo. Bakiev
visited once before, as Prime Minister, in June 2001. A
Japanese Prime Minister has yet to reciprocate. Bakiev was
also accompanied by a delegation of approximately 15 which
included the Ministers of Foreign Affairs, Finance, and
Transportation.


3. (C) A summit meeting was held by the two leaders the
evening of November 14, followed by a joint press conference
during which the joint statement Fukuda and Bakiev had signed
was released. During the meeting, according to Tamura, PM
Fukuda expressed Japan's intention to continue to support
Kyrgystan's efforts towards the promotion of democracy and a
market economy, pledging to provide a seminar for
parliamentarians on the role of local governments, and also
indicating increased support for assistance with
transportation infrastructure development and human resource
development. (NOTE: There were no new pledges of assistance
announced, but last October the two countries exchanged a
note for grant aid of 4.76 million yen (approx. USD 4.25M)
for the reconstruction of bridges in Chui Oblast, and in
June, a 2.99 million yen grant (approx. USD 2.67M) was made
for a Human Resource Development Scholarship project. END
NOTE.) President Bakiev responded by pledging to continue to
make progress on democratization and the opening of the
economy with the hope of further Japanese direct investment,
specifically in the field of rare metals. Bakiev also
thanked Japan for its "Central Asia plus Japan" initiative
and agreed with Fukuda on the importance of regional
cooperation.


4. (C) On the subject of terrorism, Tamura reported that
Bakiev thanked Fukuda for Japan's contributions to the
Operation Enduring Freedom maritime task force, and Fukuda
reciprocated by noting the use by coalition forces of
Kyrgystan's Manas airbase. Other topics touched upon
included Japan's desire for a permanent seat on the U.N.
Security Council, which Bakiev said Kyrgystan would support,
the need to address the North Korean proliferation and
abduction issues, and cooperation to create an effective
international framework to address climate change.


5. (C) Following the meeting, PM Fukuda and his wife hosted
a dinner for the Bakievs. Kyrgyz Embassy First Secretary
Rysbek Moldogaziev told Political Officer he had feared the
dinner would be a bust because PM Fukuda had a minor cold,
but instead dinner lasted longer than planned, rather than
shorter, and that the President had been very pleased by the
warm reception he and his delegation received.


6. (C) On November 15, President and Mrs. Bakiev paid a
formal, pro-forma call on the Emperor and Empress. President
Bakiev also received, at his hotel, a courtesy call from
Minister of State for Financial Services, Central and
Regional Administrative Reform and Civil Service Reform
Yoshimi Watanabe, who is the Chairman of the Japan-Kyrgystan
Parliamentary Friendship League and whose father, former
Foreign Minister Michio Watanabe, had been the first senior
Japanese official to visit Kyrgystan following its
independence in 1992. According to Moldogaziev, a planned
meeting with the Speaker of the Diet's House of
Representatives had to canceled at the last minute due to a
family emergency for the Speaker. The visit concluded on
November 16, with President Bakiev attending a seminar on
Kyrgyz trade and investment sponsored by the Kyrgyz Embassy.


7. (C) COMMENT: The visit was very low-key and received
little press coverage. However, both sides seemed satisfied,
despite the very modest and mostly symbolic outcome. Embassy
will email to EAP, SCA and Embassy Bishkek our unofficial
translation of the joint statement.

SCHIEFFER