State Foreign Secretary Masahiko Komura left for Peru on Mar. 17, carrying a message from the prime minister that the Lima hostage standoff must be resolved via peaceful means.
Komura, as Prime Minister Ryutaro Hashimoto's special envoy, will meet Mar. 18 with Peruvian President Alberto Fujimori to coordinate views on the situation, Foreign Ministry officials said. In his talks with Fujimori, Komura, who will arrive in Lima early Mar. 18, is expected to reiterate the Japanese government's intention to peacefully solve the hostage standoff. Komura is the No. 2 official in the Foreign Ministry.
Meanwhile in Peru, a Peruvian government source expressed displeasure over the purpose of Komura's visit. While there, Komura also will meet with members of the so-called guarantor commission, which is overseeing talks between the Peruvian government and the leftist rebels, the ministry officials said.