TOKYO, Aug. 18 -- Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Japan issued the following news release:
On August 18, commencing at 14:55 p.m. for approximately 20 minutes, Mr. IWAYA Takeshi, Minister for Foreign Affairs of Japan, held a telephone meeting with Rt. Hon. Winston Peters, Minister for Foreign Affairs of New Zealand. The overview of the meeting is as follows:
At the outset, Minister IWAYA reiterated his welcome of the recent announcement made with Minister Peters during the ASEAN-related Foreign Ministers' Meetings in July regarding the commencement of negotiations toward the conclusion of the Acquisition and Cross-Servicing Agreement (ACSA). Minister IWAYA stated that Japan intends to further strengthen "Strategic Cooperative Partnership"...