Japan, Palestine Create Cooperation

Japanese Prime Minister Yukio Hatoyama recently had a meeting with Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas in Tokyo when the Palestinian leader visited to Japan recently.
The peace process in West Asia and friendship between Japan and Palestine became the major discussion topics during the meeting of the two leaders.

West Asia Peace Process
During the meeting, Hatoyama expressed Japan's readiness to assist Palestine to build its economy on its own and manage various institutions. This is to help Palestine to stand as an independent country one day later.
The Japanese Ambassador to Malaysia, Masahiko Horie said, in order to achieve that objective, Japan and Palestine agreed to work together and set up the Corridor of Peace and Prosperity or Agro Industry Park in Jericho, West Bank.
In the meeting, Hatoyama also expressed the wish to work together with East Asian countries in contributing to peace in West Asia.
"In Hatoyama's opinion, East Asian countries can step up their roles in accordance with their respective economic and political status in the international arena to help in the peace process of West Asia," he said. Horie said so in a letter sent to Utusan Malaysia recently to inform about the meeting between Hatoyama and Abbas in Tokyo.

Joint Statement
In the joint statement, Hatoyama called on Israel to stop all occupation activities in the territory of Palestine. He also expressed Japan's commitment in extending aids to people of the Gaza Strip.
The statement adds, in the meeting, Hatoyama and Abbas had reached an agreement that the peace talk between Israel and Palestine which had been delayed for almost one year should be resumed. The Israel-Palestine peace talk has halted since the end of 2008 when Israel launched attacks lasted for three weeks against the Gaza Strip. The attacks killed 1,400 Palestinians and 13 Israeli citizens.
The Defense Minister of Israel, Ehud Barak described the absence of a peace treaty with Palestine as a bigger threat against the future of the Jewish country than any 'bomb from Iran'.
The joint statement of Hatoyama and Abbas added, Japan and Palestine also reached an agreement to implement several measures under the Japan-Palestine Program to Make Palestine an Advanced Country.
"Among the measures is that Japan will deploy a special mission to Palestine to study the needs and assistance Palestine needs from Japan in the aspects of institution and capacity building.
Other measure is to have discussion with Israel and Jordan next month to develop Jericho and valley area in Jordan as tourist spots," said the statement.
In addition, the statement also mentions that the Japan External Trade Organization (JETRO) and representatives from Palestine will increase the efforts to promote trade and investment in Palestine.
In the joint statement, Hatoyama and Abbas also voiced their objection against using nuclear weapons and expressed their commitment in improving the friendly ties between Japan and Palestine.
The relations between Japan and Palestine are not something new. According to the website of the Foreign Ministry of Japan, Japan has been active in providing various kinds of aids to the people of Palestine since 1993, which include humanitarian aids, reconstruction, confidence building program and various types of aids so that Palestine could enjoy a sustainable economy.

Oppression of People
Japan is also one of the biggest donor country to Palestine with more than $1 billion aids extended since 1993. This was the second time Abbas, also known as Mahmoud Abbas, visited to Japan since he became the Palestinian President in 2005. In addition, Japan, Abbas also visited to Korea. Japan's concern over Palestine could to a certain extent help to reduce the burden of the Palestinian people who have lived under oppression over the years.
The international community should emulate Japan's concern over Palestine. Japan has been wishing to see the Palestinian people to live independently like citizens of other countries and the hope of peace in West Asia come true.