Machimura arrives in New York for talks on U.N. reform

Japan Policy & Politics, May 2, 2005

NEW YORK, April 28 Kyodo

Japanese Foreign Minister Nobutaka Machimura arrived in New York on Thursday evening for talks on U.N. reform before proceeding to Washington next week for security and economic talks with U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice.

Immediately after his arrival here, Machimura proceeded to Carnegie Hall's Zankel Hall to attend the 100th anniversary celebration of the Nippon Club and presented the club with a certificate and a silver cup from Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi.

''Grass-roots diplomacy, founded on personal relationships, is the most powerful way to build strong and enduring bonds between countries,'' said the foreign minister who worked at the Japan External Trade Organization's New York Trade Center from 1979-1981.

On Friday, he will meet with Jean Ping, president of the 59th session of the U.N. General Assembly, and deliver a policy speech at a New York hotel. He will later confer with chiefs of a number of U.N. missions to press Japan's case for becoming a permanent member of the U.N. Security Council.

He will visit Washington on Monday for talks with Rice on bilateral and international issues, probably including a row over Japan's ban on U.S. beef imports.

He will return to New York the same day to discuss U.N. reforms with U.N. Secretary General Kofi Annan and attend a conference on review of the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty.

Machimura will arrive in Paris on Tuesday to attend a two-day ministerial meeting of the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development. He also plans to join ministerial talks of the World Trade Organization on Wednesday before returning to Japan.