DATE=8/19/2000
TYPE=CORRESPONDENT REPORT
TITLE=JAPAN - SOUTH ASIA (L-ONLY)
NUMBER=2-265245
BYLINE=ANJANA PASRICHA
DATELINE=NEW DELHI
CONTENT=
VOICED AT:
INTRO: Japanese Prime Minister Yoshiro Mori has
arrived in Bangladesh on the first leg of a South
Asian tour that also takes him to Pakistan, India, and
Nepal. Anjana Pasricha reports from New Delhi, the
weeklong trip is the first visit to South Asia by a
Japanese leader in a decade.
Text: Mr. Mori came to Bangladesh Saturday with an
80-member delegation that includes top Japanese
officials and businessmen.
His talks with Bangladesh's Prime Minister Sheikh
Hasina are focusing on economic cooperation, trade and
investment. Japan is Bangladesh's largest aid donor.
Most of the aid is being used for infrastructure and
social development projects.
From Bangladesh, Prime Minister Mori travels onto
Pakistan and India. He is visiting these countries
despite continuing Japanese economic sanctions imposed
on them after their nuclear tests two years ago. Mr.
Mori is expected to urge both countries to sign the
Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty, and resume peace talks.
The trip's main focus is on India where Mr. Mori
spends five days. The Japanese Prime Minister will
visit Bangalore - known as India's Silicon
valley, and the hub of the nation's information
technolgy industries.
Independent political analyst Brahma Chellaney says
the Japanese are also interested in India's
potentially vast market for consumer products.
/ / / BEGIN CHELLANEY ACTUALITY / / /
India is a big market, and for Japanese businesses
this is an important market -- a market which Japanese
businesses have not tapped that well, they have been
rather slow both to invest and to export goods to
India, and I
think now there is a growing realization in Tokyo that
Japan has to be a bit more assertive in finding new
markets if it has to come out of its nine-year old
economic recession.
/ / / END ACTUALITY / / /
Mr. Chellaney points out Japanese businessmen have
been urging their government to lift sanctions against
India and Pakistan.
Political commentators say South Asia has been
something of a neglected region for Japanese
diplomacy, as Tokyo has focused most attention on its
trading relations with East Asia, the United States
and Europe. They say the tour comes as Japan wants to
push for a wider diplomatic role in Asia, and is
seeking South Asian support for its bid to become a
permanent member of
the United Nations Security Council. (signed)
NEB/AP/PLM
19-Aug-2000 08:02 AM EDT (19-Aug-2000 1202 UTC)
NNNN
Source: Voice of America
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