tdaxp

"Focus of Indo-Japan relation should be FDI-based: Kamal Nath," Navhind Times, 17 March 2005, http://www.navhindtimes.com/stories.php?part=news&Story_ID=03179.

"Brazil, Germany, India, Japan Accelerate U.N Reform," China View, 23 March 2005, http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/2005-03/23/content_2731138.htm.

"The Year of Korea-Japan Friendship," by Curzon, Coming Anarchy, 24 March 2005, http://www.cominganarchy.com/archives/2005/03/24/the-year-of-korea-japan-friendship/#more-385.

"S. Korea Will Ease Regulations on Trade and Traffic with the North," Arirang TV, 24 March 2005, http://english.chosun.com/w21data/html/news/200503/200503240007.html (from Gardner in Korea).

"South Korean Links to U.S. Called Frayed," by Brian Lee, JoongAng Daily, 26 March 2005, http://joongangdaily.joins.com/200503/23/200503232225161809900090309031.html (from One Free Korea).

Perhaps the Republic of Korea will not be in the Pacific NATO. Hopefully South Korea's Roh is an aberation, or he is playing a deeper game, but he positioning himself to be North Korea's best friend.

As new Core India continues to join the world, emphasizing investment not aid with old Core Japan...

The Minister of Commerce and Industry, Mr Kamal Nath today said the emphasis of India-Japan bilateral trade relationship should be foreign direct investment (FDI) based and not official development assistance (ODA) based.

“India is one of the largest ODA recipients from Japan. However, in the changed context of our desire for seeking a new economic partnership, it is important that we shift the emphasis of India-Japan relationship from ODA-based to FDI -based,” the Minister said.

The Commerce Minister, who was speaking at a symposium on ‘Japan and India: challenges and responsibilities as partners in the 21st century in Asia’ organised by the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII), said there is a vast potential for higher levels of Japanese investment in India.

“Japanese business can make use of the growing opportunities in sectors like infrastructure, telecom, power and construction in India,” he said.

The countries of the Group of Four - Brazil, Germany, India and Japan - demanded Tuesday a resolution in the reforms of the United Nations Security Council prior to coming September.


The Group of Four gathers states who declare themselves prepared to take the rights and duties inherent to the condition of permanent member of the UN Security Council.

There could be a hard diplomatic war... that may reduce exchanges in various sectors and cause economic difficulty… But we do not have to worry much about it … we are determined to take the hardship on our shoulders if we really have to.

The South Korean government will ease regulations on trade and traffic with North Korea, starting from as early as next week.

Under the new measures, military inspections will be abolished for vehicles crossing the western section of the inter-Korean border using the road running alongside the Gyeongui railway.

The road is frequently used by South Korean businesses to transport machinery and equipment to the industrial park in the North Korean border city of Kaeseong.

Also up for changes are customs procedures. South Korean companies doing business in the North no longer have to report to the Unification Ministry on what items are being carried in and out of the South.

Unification Ministry officials say the latest measures are aimed at providing convenience for companies operating in the North.

On her return from an eight-day trip to the United States, Park Geun-hye, chairwoman of Grand National Party, told reporters yesterday that relations between South Korea and the United States are far worse than Koreans imagine they are.

"I met various politicians," said Ms. Park. "If the mistrust that prevails among the politicians spreads to the general public of the United States, bilateral ties between the two countries will face greater problems."

Ms. Park had a meeting with U.S. Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld to discuss the North Korean nuclear crisis, among other issues. She said a lack of cooperation between South Korea and the United States was the chief reason for the current stalemate in trying to end Pyongyang's nuclear weapons efforts.

"If the gap in South Korea-U.S. cooperation widens, the North Korea nuclear problem will only become tougher," said Ms. Park. She added that differences in actions taken and words spoken by the South Korean government have led to the erosion of trust between South Korea and the United States.