NEWS RELEASES
FIRST MEETING OF THE CANADA-JAPAN FORUM
August 15, 1997 No. 132
FIRST MEETING OF THE CANADA-JAPAN FORUM
Foreign Affairs Minister Lloyd Axworthy today announced that the first meeting of
the Canada-Japan Forum will be held August 17-19, in Victoria, British Columbia.
Established by Prime Ministers Jean Chrétien and Ryutaro Hashimoto, the Forum is a
non-governmental dialogue mechanism designated to expand ties between Canada and
Japan. This first meeting is being held in Victoria in honour of the fact that
1997 is Canada's Year of Asia Pacific.
"I am confident that this first meeting of the Forum will serve to further
strengthen our already extensive ties with Japan, in particular in the area of
people-to-people ties," said Mr. Axworthy.
In addition to examining ways to strengthen and promote bilateral relations and
people-to-people ties, the Japanese and Canadian co-chairs and members will
discuss organizational issues relating to the Forum itself.
Each country is represented by one co-chair and four members. Canada's co-chair is
the Honourable Edward C. Lumley, former Minister for International Trade and
current Vice-Chairman of Nesbitt Burns. The four Canadian members of the Forum
are: Mr. Peter Bentley, Chairman of the Board and Director of Canfor Corporation
and Canadian Forest Products Ltd.; Mrs. Tama Copithorne, Director of Japanese
Culture and Communications for the David Lam Centre of International Communication
at Simon Fraser University; Mr. Jean-Paul Gourdeau, Chairman of the Board of the
École Polytechnique Montréal; and Mr. Douglas Knight, CEO and Publisher of The
Financial Post.
Japan's co-chair is Mr. Hiroshi Kitamura, former Japanese Ambassador to Canada and
to the United Kingdom, and current Corporate Advisor to Mitsubishi Corporation.
Japan's four members are: Mr. Mikio Kato, Executive Director, International House
of Japan; Ms. Masako Iino, Professor, Tsuda College; Mr. Shigeji Ueshima,
President and CEO, Mitsui & Co. Ltd.; Mr. Hatsuhisa Takashima, Executive
Controller-General, Japan Broadcasting Corporation (NHK).
The Forum's mandate includes: identifying opportunities to enhance Canada-Japan
ties; encouraging co-operation between non-governmental sectors, groups and
associations in Canada and Japan; and increasing public awareness of important
issues in Canada-Japan relations. Forum meetings will be held annually, with the
location alternating between Canada and Japan.
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For further information, media representatives may contact:
Catherine Lappe
Director of Communications
Office of the Minister of Foreign Affairs
(613) 995-1851
Media Relations Office
Department of Foreign Affairs and International Trade
(613) 995-1874
This document is also available on the Department's Internet site:
http://www.dfait-maeci.gc.ca
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