The government held its first preparatory meeting Wednesday for next year's Kyushu-Okinawa Summit, confirming that related ministries will cooperate closely to make the summit a success, government officials said.
Participants at the conference, headed by Deputy Chief Cabinet Secretary Teijiro Furukawa and comprised of members from 12 ministries and agencies, reported how each ministry will prepare for the summit of the Group of Eight major powers to be held in Okinawa in July 2000.
"To make the summit successful, the conference must study various issues, such as Okinawa's infrastructure for transportation, telecommunications and hotels, as well as ensuring security," Furukawa told the meeting.
It will be the first time for Japan to host such a summit outside Tokyo. Because of that, the conference members included officials from the Okinawa Development Agency, Defense Agency, Health and Welfare Ministry and Justice Ministry to ensure smooth procedures for VIPs' entry into Japan and their transportation.