Aso announces Japan`s participation in Expo 2012 Yeosu

SEOUL, Feb. 23 (Yonhap) -- Japanese Prime Minister Taro Aso announced his
country's decision to participate in the 2012 World Expo scheduled to take place
in Yeosu, South Korea, during his telephone talks with South Korean President Lee
Myung-bak on Monday, Lee's office said.
"Lee and Aso held telephone talks on Monday afternoon at the request of the
Japanese side and reaffirmed that their countries will closely cooperate in
addressing the global economic turmoil, the North Korean nuclear problem and
various other issues facing the international community," said the presidential
office, Cheong Wa Dae.
"In the talks that lasted about 10 minutes, Aso said his cabinet would officially
decide on Japan's participation in the Expo 2012 Yeosu at its meeting on
Tuesday," said the office.
Yeosu, a coastal city on South Korea's southern coast, is scheduled to host a
three-month specialized World Expo in 2012 under the theme of "The Living Ocean
and Coast."
Japan is the second country in the world after Saudi Arabia to have officially
expressed an intention to take part in the Yeosu expo.
According to Cheong Wa Dae, Lee also disclosed his plan to visit Japan again as
soon as possible to discuss closer bilateral relations and wished for the success
of the upcoming U.S.-Japan summit, which is slated for Tuesday in Washington,
D.C.
ycm@yna.co.kr
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