Next Japan-Pacific summit in Fukushima

October 28, 2013

Japan-Pacific islands summit to be held in Fukushima in 2015

http://mainichi.jp/english/english/newsselect/news/20131027p2a00m0na008000c.html

TOKYO (Kyodo) -- Ministers and other officials from Japan and the 16-member Pacific Islands Forum decided Saturday to hold the next summit of their leaders in Iwaki in Japan's northeastern prefecture of Fukushima in May 2015, Japanese Foreign Minister Fumio Kishida said.

The decision was made as participants discussed maritime order, resource management and new ways to cooperate in trade and investment, while taking stock of progress on pledges made at a summit last year.

The next summit, set for May 22 in 2015, is expected to take place at Spa Resort Hawaiians, a leisure complex in Iwaki. Kishida told reporters the summit will provide a good opportunity to demonstrate the region's reconstruction from a massive earthquake and tsunami that flattened Fukushima and other northeastern Japan parts in 2011.

Kishida and Foreign Minister Phillip Muller of the Marshall Islands co-chaired the one-day meeting as a follow-up to the Pacific Islands Leaders Meeting held in Okinawa Prefecture in May 2012.

Bearing in mind China's growing maritime presence in the Asia-Pacific region, the participants agreed to pursue the establishment of maritime order where any dispute can be resolved in line with international law.

"The ministers reaffirmed common values such as democracy, human rights and the rule of law, and committed to working together to enhance transparency, predictability and accountability throughout the region," the chairman's summary of the meeting said.

"As like-minded maritime nations, the ministers reaffirmed their commitment to working together to ensure maritime security, maritime safety, sustainable fisheries management and maritime order including peaceful settlement of disputes and issues based upon established international law," it said.

Kishida briefed others on a territorial quarrel between Japan and China over a group of Japanese-controlled islands in the East China Sea. He also expressed hope Beijing will respond to Tokyo's call for dialogue.

Kishida also reported to other participants on progress made by Japan in fulfilling its commitment made at last year's summit to make "maximum efforts" to provide up to $500 million in aid over three years.

On Sunday, participants from the island nations are scheduled to visit Matsushima, a picturesque island near Sendai in Miyagi Prefecture that suffered damage from the massive tsunami in March 2011, to see recovery efforts firsthand.

The Pacific Islands Forum groups Australia, the Cook Islands, Fiji, Kiribati, the Marshall Islands, Micronesia, Nauru, New Zealand, Niue, Palau, Papua New Guinea, Samoa, the Solomon Islands, Tonga, Tuvalu and Vanuatu.

Japan has hosted the summits six times since 1997.