VZCZCXYZ0001
RR RUEHWEB

DE RUEHKO #5539/01 3470131
ZNY CCCCC ZZH
R 130131Z DEC 07
FM AMEMBASSY TOKYO
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 0262
INFO RUEHAH/AMEMBASSY ASHGABAT 0148
RUEHAE/AMEMBASSY ASMARA 0081
RUEHBJ/AMEMBASSY BEIJING 0616
RUEHEK/AMEMBASSY BISHKEK 0187
RUEHDBU/AMEMBASSY DUSHANBE
RUEHBUL/AMEMBASSY KABUL 0542
RUEHMO/AMEMBASSY MOSCOW 2010
RUEHUL/AMEMBASSY SEOUL 6658
RUEHNT/AMEMBASSY TASHKENT 0235

C O N F I D E N T I A L TOKYO 005539 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 12/10/2017 
TAGS: PREL EAID KY JA
SUBJECT: KYRGYZ PRESIDENT PAYS LOW-KEY VISIT TO JAPAN 
 
Classified By: Ambassador J. Thomas Schieffer for reasons 1.4 (B & D) 
 
¶1. (C)  SUMMARY.  Kyrgyz President Kurmanbek Bakiev paid a 
low-key visit to Tokyo November 14-16 during which he met 
with Prime Minister Yasuo Fukuda, the Emperor, and Minister 
of Administrative Reform Yoshimi Watanabe, whose father, 
former Foreign Minister Michio Watanabe, was the first senior 
level Japanese official to visit Kyrgystan following its 
independence in 1992.  Japanese officials termed the visit 
"routine."  In a joint statement following their meeting, 
Prime Minister Fukuda and President Bakiev agreed to enhance 
bilateral and regional relations.  Japan pledged to continue 
to provide ODA and Bakiev promised to continue to promote 
democratization and market economics in Kyrgystan.  END 
SUMMARY. 
 
¶2. (C)  President Bakiev, accompanied by Mrs. Bakiev, arrived 
in Japan November 14 as a "distinguished guest for a working 
visit", according to Keisuke Tamura, Deputy Director of 
MOFA's Central Asia and Caucasus Division.  Tamura told 
Embassy Tokyo Political Officer the visit was part of a 
routine rotation that brings Central Asian leaders to Japan. 
The last Kyrgyz head of state visit to Japan took place in 
April 2004 when President Akaev came to Tokyo.  Bakiev 
visited once before, as Prime Minister, in June 2001.  A 
Japanese Prime Minister has yet to reciprocate.  Bakiev was 
also accompanied by a delegation of approximately 15 which 
included the Ministers of Foreign Affairs, Finance, and 
Transportation. 
 
¶3. (C)  A summit meeting was held by the two leaders the 
evening of November 14, followed by a joint press conference 
during which the joint statement Fukuda and Bakiev had signed 
was released.  During the meeting, according to Tamura, PM 
Fukuda expressed Japan's intention to continue to support 
Kyrgystan's efforts towards the promotion of democracy and a 
market economy, pledging to provide a seminar for 
parliamentarians on the role of local governments, and also 
indicating increased support for assistance with 
transportation infrastructure development and human resource 
development.  (NOTE: There were no new pledges of assistance 
announced, but last October the two countries exchanged a 
note for grant aid of 4.76 million yen (approx. USD 4.25M) 
for the reconstruction of bridges in Chui Oblast, and in 
June, a 2.99 million yen grant (approx. USD 2.67M) was made 
for a Human Resource Development Scholarship project.  END 
NOTE.) President Bakiev responded by pledging to continue to 
make progress on democratization and the opening of the 
economy with the hope of further Japanese direct investment, 
specifically in the field of rare metals.  Bakiev also 
thanked Japan for its "Central Asia plus Japan" initiative 
and agreed with Fukuda on the importance of regional 
cooperation. 
 
¶4. (C)  On the subject of terrorism, Tamura reported that 
Bakiev thanked Fukuda for Japan's contributions to the 
Operation Enduring Freedom maritime task force, and Fukuda 
reciprocated by noting the use by coalition forces of 
Kyrgystan's Manas airbase.  Other topics touched upon 
included Japan's desire for a permanent seat on the U.N. 
Security Council, which Bakiev said Kyrgystan would support, 
the need to address the North Korean proliferation and 
abduction issues, and cooperation to create an effective 
international framework to address climate change. 
 
¶5. (C)  Following the meeting, PM Fukuda and his wife hosted 
a dinner for the Bakievs.  Kyrgyz Embassy First Secretary 
Rysbek Moldogaziev told Political Officer he had feared the 
dinner would be a bust because PM Fukuda had a minor cold, 
but instead dinner lasted longer than planned, rather than 
shorter, and that the President had been very pleased by the 
warm reception he and his delegation received. 
 
¶6. (C)  On November 15, President and Mrs. Bakiev paid a 
formal, pro-forma call on the Emperor and Empress.  President 
Bakiev also received, at his hotel, a courtesy call from 
Minister of State for Financial Services, Central and 
Regional Administrative Reform and Civil Service Reform 
Yoshimi Watanabe, who is the Chairman of the Japan-Kyrgystan 
Parliamentary Friendship League and whose father, former 
Foreign Minister Michio Watanabe, had been the first senior 
Japanese official to visit Kyrgystan following its 
independence in 1992.  According to Moldogaziev, a planned 
meeting with the Speaker of the Diet's House of 
Representatives had to canceled at the last minute due to a 
family emergency for the Speaker.  The visit concluded on 
November 16, with President Bakiev attending a seminar on 
Kyrgyz trade and investment sponsored by the Kyrgyz Embassy. 
 
¶7. (C)  COMMENT: The visit was very low-key and received 
little press coverage.  However, both sides seemed satisfied, 
despite the very modest and mostly symbolic outcome.  Embassy 
will email to EAP, SCA and Embassy Bishkek our unofficial 
translation of the joint statement. 
 
SCHIEFFER