STOP NATO: �NO PASARAN! - HTTP://WWW.STOPNATO.ORG.UK --------------------------- ListBot Sponsor -------------------------- Start Your Own FREE Email List at http://www.listbot.com/links/joinlb ---------------------------------------------------------------------- [This is great huh? One week after the NAS Echelon is busted for spying on Japans Economy (for the last 20 years), All of the sudden Bush has a NEo Ball Buddy?] "The 12-minute session began with Koizumi's underhand toss of a hardball to Bush. The president snagged it with one hand and winked at the U.S. press corps." Bush Supports Koizumi's Economic Plan By GEORGE GEDDA .c The Associated Press CAMP DAVID, Md. (June 30) - President Bush blessed Japanese Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi's tough-medicine economic package in a mountaintop meeting Saturday. Koizumi, in turn, backed off his criticism of Bush's environmental plans. Standing beneath a green dome of oak and poplar trees, the leaders of the world's two largest economies papered over their differences on several other issues at a playful news conference. The 12-minute session began with Koizumi's underhand toss of a hardball to Bush. The president snagged it with one hand and winked at the U.S. press corps. ''There's no question in my mind our relationship will never be stronger than under our leadership,'' Bush said after private meetings in his presidential lodge. A smiling Koizumi said: ''I did not, at the outset, believe that I would be able to establish such a strong relationship of trust with the president in my first meeting.'' Both newly elected and meeting for the first time, Bush and Koizumi came into the session with plenty of ticklish issues on their plate: Japan's faltering economy, global warming, missile defense, Japanese whaling and the sometimes unwelcome deployment of U.S. servicemen in Okinawa. Bush quickly set aside the first issue, declaring, ''I strongly support'' Koizumi's economic policies. The president dismissed suggestions that Japan's slow-growth plans could hurt the U.S. economy. ''I have no reservations about the economic reform agenda that the prime minister is advancing,'' Bush said. ''He talks about tackling difficult issues that some leaders in the past refused to address.'' Bush's endorsement was important to Koizumi after a history of tense U.S.-Japanese relations marked by badgering from U.S. presidents. In his campaign, Bush chastised Democratic President Clinton for harping on Japan to fix its economy. With his prize in hand, Koizumi returned the favor by softening his criticism of Bush for rejecting a 1997 global warming treaty. ''I am not disappointed at the president's position,'' the prime minister said. ''The president is enthusiastic about environmental issues and there is still time to discuss this issue.'' Signaling that differences remain, both governments released a joint statement before the meeting concluded in which Koizumi called the 1997 Kyoto Protocols important. The statement also said Bush welcomed the prime minister's offer to open U.S.-Japanese talks to find common ground on climate change. Koizumi later said he will work ''to the very last moment'' to reach agreement with Bush on the issue, preferring not to act on global warming without the United States. Last week, Koizumi called Bush's rejection of the treaty ''truly deplorable.'' He said he would try to mediate an agreement between Europe and the United States on cutting emissions. Japan, like the U.S. and European powers, has not ratified the treaty. With open collars and no suit coats, the leaders exchanged laughs and compliments in a way reminiscent of Bush's recent meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin. Bush has been accused of going overboard in his endorsement of Putin's integrity. Of Koizumi, the president said: ''He's a courageous leader.'' Bush gave Koizumi the ball and a brown leather jacket. The prime minister gave Bush a picture frame and a digital camera. The Japanese government has taken a neutral stance on Bush's missile shield plans. In the statement, both leaders vowed to ''consult closely'' on the issue, and Koizumi reiterated his understanding of U.S. security concerns. ''The president and prime minister also reiterated the importance of cooperative research on ballistic missile defense technologies,'' the statement said. Less was said about more sensitive issues, such as allegations that a U.S. Air Force sergeant raped an Okinawan woman. Okinawa, 1,000 miles southwest of Tokyo, is home to most of the 50,000 servicemen based in Japan. Local residents have long protested their presence and a series of crimes against civilians by American soldiers. A senior U.S. official, briefing reporters on condition of anonymity, said Bush expressed regret for the incidents without passing judgment on the most recent case. In private, Bush also reminded Koizumi of U.S. opposition to whale hunts authorized by Japan. The prime minister promised to cooperate with the United States on the issues, the official said. In addition to his foreign policy team, Bush invited Gov. Tom Ridge of Pennsylvania to spend the weekend with him at Camp David. Ridge was a candidate last year to be Bush's running mate. Koizumi's economic plan aims to rid the nation's banks of their massive burden of bad loans and curb the suffocating national debt. With pledges to eliminate regulations that hinder private investment and increase incentives for business growth, Koizumi has struck a course not unlike the agenda Bush ran on in 2000. Bush, however, promised to spur economic growth with his initiatives while Koizumi has acknowledged that his approach will bring two to three years of lower growth. AP-NY-06-30-01 1642EDT Copyright 2001 The Associated Press. The information contained in the AP news report may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or otherwise distributed without the prior written authority of The Associated Press. All active hyperlinks have been inserted by AOL. ______________________________________________________________________ To unsubscribe, write to [EMAIL PROTECTED]
