[Date Prev][Date Next][Thread Prev][Thread Next][Date Index ][Thread Index ]

AFP-Thais to ask Japan to push glob



Subject: AFP-Thais to ask Japan to push global economic reform

This is a multi-part message in MIME format.

------=_NextPart_000_0030_01BF5D4E.A6D56B60
Content-Type: text/plain;
	charset="iso-8859-1"
Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable

Wednesday, January 12 7:17 PM SGT=20
Thais to ask Japan to push global economic reform
BANGKOK, Jan 12 (AFP) -=20
Thailand will urge Japanese Prime Minister Keizo Obuchi to push for =
global economic reform when he arrives here Thursday on the final leg of =
a historic swing through Southeast Asia.

Obuchi will fly to Bangkok after an overnight stay in Laos following the =
first visit to Cambodia by a Japanese leader for 43 years, a trip which =
close aides described as a major success.

His stay in Thailand may seem routine compared to the excitement of his =
Cambodian sojourn, which was dominated by plans for a trial for Khmer =
Rouge leaders and a tour of the ancient temples of Angkor Wat.

But economic issues expected to be tackled in talks with Thai Prime =
Minister Chuan Leekpai and his ministers could shape Asia's capacity to =
fend off economic crises similar the one which erupted in mid-1997.

Obuchi told travelling reporters after leaving Japan that the world must =
consider economic anti-crisis measures.

"The world economy will greatly benefit from the prevention of another =
economic crisis in Asia and, at the same time, from development of the =
Asian economy," he said.

Thailand, which will welcome the first official visit by a Japanese =
leader in seven years, says relations between the two sides have rarely =
been better.

"There is close cooperation at every level ... especially after Japan =
helped Thailand during its financial crisis," said a Thai Foreign =
Ministry statement issued Wednesday.

Foreign observers here said Obuchi may float the idea of a regional =
currency regime based on a peg of global units to stabilise exchange =
rates.

Obuchi, mindful of Thailand's influential position in the Association of =
Southeast Asian nations (ASEAN), will canvass opinion ahead of this =
year's summit of industrialised nations in Japan.

Chuan said Wednesday he would ask Obuchi to tell Group of Seven leaders =
that they must reform the global financial system to forestall future =
crises.

"I will ask Obuchi to tell G7 leaders that they should pay more =
attention to this regional crisis and should try to support =
problem-solving in the long-term," he said.

"Many policies only benefit developed countries. I will ask Obuchi to =
convey this to the other six leaders."

Although Myanmar is not on Obuchi's itinerary, the chances of political =
reform in the military-ruled state may also be discussed.

Japan recently sent former prime minister Ryutaro Hashimoto on a private =
mission to Yangon to asses the political and economic situation.

Obuchi told junta leader, Senior General Than Shwe, during ASEAN's =
Manila summit that if Myanmar proved its willingness to embark on =
radical economic reform it could count on Japan for help.

Thailand and Myanmar have recently seen relations deteriorate sharply =
after Myanmarese dissidents seized Yangon's embassy in Bangkok last =
year, and were allowed to escape in return for the release of hostages.

Chuan said he would also thank Obuchi for Japan's help during the =
darkest hours of the financial meltdown, including funds dispersed =
through the Miyazawa plan for crisis-hit countries.

Thai and Japanese officials will thrash out details of the new =
500-million-dollar aid package announced by Japan at the ASEAN summit in =
Manila late last year.

Obuchi will be formally welcomed at Government House before bilateral =
talks and a dinner hosted by Chuan.

He was due to hold a press briefing on Friday before meeting members of =
the Japanese community in Bangkok. Later Friday he was due to be granted =
an audience by King Bhumibol Adulyadej.

Obuchi was scheduled to leave Thailand on Saturday morning.


------=_NextPart_000_0030_01BF5D4E.A6D56B60
Content-Type: text/html;
	charset="iso-8859-1"
Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable

<!DOCTYPE HTML PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD HTML 4.0 Transitional//EN">
<HTML><HEAD>
<META content=3D"text/html; charset=3Diso-8859-1" =
http-equiv=3DContent-Type>
<META content=3D"MSHTML 5.00.2614.3500" name=3DGENERATOR>
<STYLE></STYLE>
</HEAD>
<BODY bgColor=3D#ffffff>
<DIV><FONT face=3DArial size=3D2><B>Wednesday, January 12</B> 7:17 PM =
SGT=20
<H2><FONT color=3D#800000 size=3D4>Thais to ask Japan to push global =
economic=20
reform</FONT></H2>BANGKOK, Jan 12 (AFP) -=20
<P>Thailand will urge Japanese Prime Minister Keizo Obuchi to push for =
global=20
economic reform when he arrives here Thursday on the final leg of a =
historic=20
swing through Southeast Asia.</P>
<P>Obuchi will fly to Bangkok after an overnight stay in Laos following =
the=20
first visit to Cambodia by a Japanese leader for 43 years, a trip which =
close=20
aides described as a major success.</P>
<P>His stay in Thailand may seem routine compared to the excitement of =
his=20
Cambodian sojourn, which was dominated by plans for a trial for Khmer =
Rouge=20
leaders and a tour of the ancient temples of Angkor Wat.</P>
<P>But economic issues expected to be tackled in talks with Thai Prime =
Minister=20
Chuan Leekpai and his ministers could shape Asia's capacity to fend off =
economic=20
crises similar the one which erupted in mid-1997.</P>
<P>Obuchi told travelling reporters after leaving Japan that the world =
must=20
consider economic anti-crisis measures.</P>
<P>"The world economy will greatly benefit from the prevention of =
another=20
economic crisis in Asia and, at the same time, from development of the =
Asian=20
economy," he said.</P>
<P>Thailand, which will welcome the first official visit by a Japanese =
leader in=20
seven years, says relations between the two sides have rarely been =
better.</P>
<P>"There is close cooperation at every level ... especially after Japan =
helped=20
Thailand during its financial crisis," said a Thai Foreign Ministry =
statement=20
issued Wednesday.</P>
<P>Foreign observers here said Obuchi may float the idea of a regional =
currency=20
regime based on a peg of global units to stabilise exchange rates.</P>
<P>Obuchi, mindful of Thailand's influential position in the Association =
of=20
Southeast Asian nations (ASEAN), will canvass opinion ahead of this =
year's=20
summit of industrialised nations in Japan.</P>
<P>Chuan said Wednesday he would ask Obuchi to tell Group of Seven =
leaders that=20
they must reform the global financial system to forestall future =
crises.</P>
<P>"I will ask Obuchi to tell G7 leaders that they should pay more =
attention to=20
this regional crisis and should try to support problem-solving in the=20
long-term," he said.</P>
<P>"Many policies only benefit developed countries. I will ask Obuchi to =
convey=20
this to the other six leaders."</P>
<P>Although Myanmar is not on Obuchi's itinerary, the chances of =
political=20
reform in the military-ruled state may also be discussed.</P>
<P>Japan recently sent former prime minister Ryutaro Hashimoto on a =
private=20
mission to Yangon to asses the political and economic situation.</P>
<P>Obuchi told junta leader, Senior General Than Shwe, during ASEAN's =
Manila=20
summit that if Myanmar proved its willingness to embark on radical =
economic=20
reform it could count on Japan for help.</P>
<P>Thailand and Myanmar have recently seen relations deteriorate sharply =
after=20
Myanmarese dissidents seized Yangon's embassy in Bangkok last year, and =
were=20
allowed to escape in return for the release of hostages.</P>
<P>Chuan said he would also thank Obuchi for Japan's help during the =
darkest=20
hours of the financial meltdown, including funds dispersed through the =
Miyazawa=20
plan for crisis-hit countries.</P>
<P>Thai and Japanese officials will thrash out details of the new=20
500-million-dollar aid package announced by Japan at the ASEAN summit in =
Manila=20
late last year.</P>
<P>Obuchi will be formally welcomed at Government House before bilateral =
talks=20
and a dinner hosted by Chuan.</P>
<P>He was due to hold a press briefing on Friday before meeting members =
of the=20
Japanese community in Bangkok. Later Friday he was due to be granted an =
audience=20
by King Bhumibol Adulyadej.</P>
<P>Obuchi was scheduled to leave Thailand on Saturday=20
morning.</P></FONT></DIV></BODY></HTML>

------=_NextPart_000_0030_01BF5D4E.A6D56B60--