Japanese FM Rules out 30 Percent Cut in Foreign Aid

Japanese Foreign Minister Yohei Kono on December 6 ruled out a proposed 30 percent reduction in Japan's official development assistance (ODA) to developing countries in the fiscal 2001 budget, while agreeing on the need to review the foreign aid.

"By no means are we considering such a large reduction," Kono told reporters when asked about his view on a suggestion by ruling Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) policy chief Shizuka Kamei to slash Japan's ODA budget by that amount.

"The total sum is very big, so it is necessary to review and reconsider how the money, valuable tax money, is being used. On the other hand, ODA is one of the pillars of Japan's diplomatic policy," Kono said.

Kono emphasized that Japan's financial assistance has supported Asian economies through the financial crisis which hit the region in 1997.

ODA accounted for 1.05 trillion yen (9.5 billion dollars) of the 85 trillion-yen (767.8 billion dollars) fiscal 2000 budget, down 0.2 percent from the previous year.

Japan's ODA budget was the world's largest for the ninth consecutive year in 1999. But pressure is growing on the government to limit spending as the country's tax revenue growth slows, and some LDP legislators have criticized the size of foreign aid allocations.

Kono, who was reappointed as foreign minister Tuesday in Prime Minister Yoshiro Mori's reshuffled cabinet, also expounded Japan's foreign policies.

Kono said the Japanese Foreign Ministry is planning to publish by the end of this year a white paper on Japan's disarmament diplomacy.

"The document, the first of its kind, summarizes Japan's determination to deal with the issue. We hope it will help Japanese citizens and foreign countries understand Japan's initiatives and thoughts on promoting international arms control," Kono said.

The foreign minister said disarmament and nonproliferation is one of the three pillars of his diplomatic policy.

The other pillars are improving relations with nearby countries, especially those in the Asia-Pacific region, and promoting mutual understanding with other countries in the cultural and artistic fields, he said.






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