US embassy cable - 04BRASILIA2392

UNCLAS BRASILIA 002392 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PGOV, ETRD, BR, External Relations 
SUBJECT:  Japanese PM's Visit to Brazil 
 
 
1.(U) Japanese Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi, on his 
first trip to Latin America, visited Brazil from September 
14-16.  Prime Minister Koizumi spent two days in Sao Paulo 
meeting with representatives from business, government, and 
the local Japanese-Brazilian community.  He then met in 
Braslia with Brazilian President Luiz Incio Lula da 
Silva. 
 
2.(U) Highlights of the Prime Minister's visit included: 
 
--(U) PM Koizumi's calls for stronger commercial 
cooperation between Japan and Latin America:  The Prime 
Minister cited the recently signed Japan-Mexico free trade 
agreement as an indication of Japan's commercial interest 
in the resource-rich region.  While rumors of a similar 
ilar 
bilateral trade agreement between Japan and Brazil 
circulated prior to and during the Prime Minister's visit, 
the only trade-related announcement involved the renewal of 
mango exports from Brazil to Japan. 
 
--(U) Koizumi's request for Brazil's support in pushing 
forward the Doha round of WTO negotiations.  The PM made 
the request in a speech before government and business 
leaders in Sao Paulo.  [Comment:  Brazil has proven itself 
a key player in marshalling developing countries against 
agricultural subsidies by the U.S., E.U., and Japan. 
Through its leadership in the G-20 and as one of the Five 
Interested Parties (FIPs), Brazil was instrumental in 
setting up an August 2004 agreement on a framework for 
future WTO negotiations.  End comment] 
 
--(U) An announcement, made jointly by PM Koizumi and 
President Lula, of mutual support for U.N. Security Council 
reform that would include permanent seats for both Brazil 
and Japan.  [Comment:  Both Japan, the whose contributions 
s 
to the U.N. are second only to those of the U.S., and 
Brazil, the largest and most populous country in Latin 
America, have been seeking permanent spots on the Security 
Council as recognition of their regional and global clout. 
End comment] 
 
--(U) In addition to seeing a first cousin who 
immigrated to Brazil in the 1950's, the Prime Minister 
stopped at the Museum of Japanese Immigration and met with 
ethnic community leaders in Sao Paulo.  Hearing the saga of 
the ethnic Japanese in Brazil, who currently number 
approximately 1.4. million, left the Prime Minister in 
tears. 
 
DANILOVICH