Kan leaves for Brussels to attend ASEM summit

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TOKYO, Oct. 3 Kyodo -
Japanese Prime Minister Naoto Kan left Japan on Sunday for a three-day trip to
Brussels to attend the biennial Asia-Europe Meeting and meet separately with
some of the ASEM leaders.
Kan will join the working dinner session of the ASEM summit on Monday evening
(local time) to discuss economic issues such as ways to ensure sustainable
economic growth, rebalancing the global economy and banking regulations.
Prior to the opening of the two-day ASEM summit, Kan is likely to hold talks
Monday with several leaders, including South Korean President Lee Myung Bak,
Japanese officials said.
At the bilateral meetings, Kan is expected to seek support for Tokyo's position
in a row with China over a maritime collision in early September near the
disputed Senkaku Islands in the East China Sea.
Although no bilateral talks between Kan and Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao are set
to take place on the sidelines of the ASEM summit, the Japanese premier is
expected to explore the possibility of making brief contact with Wen in an
attempt to calm tensions between the two countries.
Kan plans to refer to the collision in his speech at the summit meeting as well
as in his meetings with South Korean President Lee and French President Nicolas
Sarkozy.
Just before leaving for Brussels, Kan said he will explain to world leaders
Japan's stance on the collision involving a Chinese fishing boat and Japan
Coast Guard vessels during the meeting of ASEM leaders, while saying no talks
with Wen are scheduled.
Speaking to reporters at the prime minister's residence, Kan said, ''It is
necessary to thoroughly explain the stance of our country,'' during bilateral
talks with the leaders on the sidelines of the meeting.
However, Kan said talks with Wen are ''not scheduled'' during the Oct. 4-5
summit meeting.
The Japanese premier will depart the Belgian capital for Tokyo later Monday,
skipping the Tuesday session of the summit, where ASEM leaders will devote
their discussions to political and security issues.
A senior Foreign Ministry official is expected to represent Japan at the
second-day session on behalf of Kan, the Japanese officials said.
ASEM, launched in 1996, is currently made up of 43 countries, including the 27
members of the European Union, the 10 members of the Association of Southeast
Asian Nations, plus China, Japan and South Korea.
The summit meeting will officially welcome Australia, New Zealand and Russia as
new ASEM partners, bringing the total number of member economies to 46 plus two
organizations.
==Kyodo
2010-10-03 23:50:10