On October 4 Japanese Minister for Foreign Affairs Nobutaka Machimura held telephone talks with British Foreign Secretary Jack Straw. The following is a summary of their discussion:

1. Secretary Straw began by congratulating Minister Machimura on his new assignment as Foreign Minister. He affirmed his willingness to continue close co-operation with Japan.

Minister Machimura expressed his gratitude for Secretary Straw's kind words and said that he was looking forward to working closely with him on tackling various issues in the international arena. This includes the framework of the G8 Summit, which the UK will chair next year.

Both Foreign Ministers agreed to continue holding regular telephone talks.

2. Minister Machimura expressed his appreciation for the UK's consistent support of Japan's reconstruction efforts in Iraq and of its quest to become a permanent member of the UN Security Council. He also expressed his desire to further co-operate with the UK in these areas. Secretary Straw responded that he would continue such co-operation as much as possible.