[Public Papers of the Presidents of the United States: GEORGE W. BUSH (2001, Book I)]
[March 19, 2001]
[Pages 254-255]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office www.gpo.gov]



Joint Statement With Prime Minister Yoshiro Mori
March 19, 2001

    President George W. Bush and Prime Minister Yoshiro Mori today 
reaffirmed the strength of the bilateral relationship between their two 
countries. The two leaders expressed their conviction that the U.S.-
Japan relationship is rooted in friendship, mutual trust, and shared 
democratic values. They also concurred that these solid ties enable the 
two countries to deal with problems, such as the regrettable Ehime Maru 
accident. They noted that the U.S.-Japan alliance is the foundation of 
peace and stability in the Asia-Pacific region. Agreeing that the U.S. 
presence remains vital to regional security, the leaders pledged to work 
together to further strengthen the alliance.
    The two leaders, noting that the United States and Japan together 
account for roughly 40 percent of the world economy, reaffirmed the 
importance of working together to promote prosperity in their two 
countries and around the world. The leaders recognized the need to 
address the challenges facing their two economies. The Prime Minister 
reiterated his determination to continue pursuing appropriate economic 
policies and to promote vigorously structural and regulatory reform to 
revitalize the Japanese economy and strengthen the financial system, 
including through effectively addressing the issues of corporate debt 
and non-performing loans. The President reaffirmed the importance of 
taking appropriate policies to support sustainable growth in the United 
States, which will benefit both countries and the world economy. They 
agreed on the importance of promoting deregulation, restructuring, and 
foreign direct investment. They agreed to work together to seek new ways 
to enhance the U.S.-Japan dialogue to address global, regional, and 
bilateral economic and trade issues, and recognized that bringing views 
from outside the two governments into this effort would strengthen the 
bilateral relationship and improve economic performance in both 
countries. Both leaders also agreed to work together closely for the 
launch of a new WTO round this year.
    President Bush and Prime Minister Mori recognized the growing threat 
from the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction and ballistic 
missiles. As part of a comprehensive strategy to meet such threats, they 
agreed on the importance of stepping up diplomatic efforts, including in 
the field of arms reduction. They also reaffirmed the need to take 
effective measures to address such threats, including defensive systems, 
strengthened proliferation controls, and counterproliferation measures. 
The two leaders noted with satisfaction that the United States and Japan 
are already conducting cooperative research on ballistic

[[Page 255]]

missile defense technologies. They agreed on the importance of close 
consultations on missile defense among allies and with other interested 
parties.
    The two leaders noted that uncertainty in the Asia-Pacific region 
necessitates close bilateral cooperation, including a dynamic approach 
to bilateral defense consultation and planning. The two leaders 
reaffirmed the need to continue to carry out commitments under the 1996 
U.S.-Japan Joint Declaration on Security and related undertakings, such 
as the new Guidelines for U.S.-Japan Defense Cooperation and the SACO 
process, that strengthen the alliance, and they agreed to continue to 
work closely on issues related to Okinawa. The leaders also agreed that 
strategic dialogue will be an important step in defining how the 
alliance can best promote stability and address new challenges that may 
emerge. They pledged to coordinate closely on pressing regional issues, 
and reaffirmed the particular importance of maintaining close 
consultations and coordination regarding North Korea, both bilaterally 
and trilaterally with the Republic of Korea.
    The President and Prime Minister recognized the need for the United 
States and Japan to continue cooperation on global issues, taking note 
of the important achievements this cooperation has produced thus far. 
Noting that their two countries are the world's largest aid donors, the 
leaders agreed to strengthen joint efforts to address the transnational 
challenges of the 21st century. The two leaders expressed their 
commitment to promoting United Nations Security Council reform with the 
goal of strengthening its effectiveness. In this context, they agreed to 
continue to work together to obtain for Japan a permanent seat on the 
Security Council.
    The President accepted with gratitude the Prime Minister's 
invitation for an early visit to Japan.

Note: An original was not available for verification of the content of 
this joint statement.