Prime Minister Keizo Obuchi and his visiting Canadian counterpart Jean Chretien reaffirmed Friday that Japan and Canada will further strengthen their partnership for the 21st century not only in bilateral areas but on the global stage as well.

Their resolve for enhanced partnership was compiled in a document that outlines objectives for Japan-Canada cooperation in trade, investment, space technology, development aid, peace-building and other areas.

"The government welcomes the fact that members of Team Canada had extensive, fruitful discussions with Japanese businesses, which will pave the way for our enhanced ties," Obuchi told reporters after their talks Friday at the Prime Minister's Official Residence.

"We were particularly impressed by the fact that the business community in Japan took Team Canada very seriously," Chretien said, adding that Canadian delegation members were able to meet more than 4,000 businessmen here.

Obuchi said he and Chretien reaffirmed their concerted efforts to expand global markets and strengthen trade rules at the next round of international trade liberalization talks at the World Trade Organization to begin in 2000.

The two leaders also discussed the issue of violence-torn East Timor and agreed on the need to make concerted efforts to restore stability in the region, Obuchi said.

Talks between Obuchi and Chretien took place in the context of the current visit to Japan by "Team Canada" -- a delegation of some 420 Canadian businesspeople, government officials and academics. Chretien and the mission conclude their nearly weeklong visit today.

According to the joint initiative, "Japan and Canada: a Global Partnership for the 21st Century," Tokyo and Ottawa are set to promote dialogue to further understand each other's regulatory systems and boost trade in regulated products.

Areas to be dealt with will likely include building materials, telecommunications equipment, new industrial chemicals and agricultural biotechnology, the document says.

The Japanese-Canadian partnership goes beyond a bilateral framework. Regarding cooperation in providing official development assistance, the two countries underscored the need to establish a donor partnership while regarding developing countries as equal partners.

Their aid will focus on enhancing basic human needs, primary education, health care, environmental protection, peace-building and the reconstruction of war-torn areas, the document says.

On cooperation for peace and security, the two countries will attach great importance to the concept of "human security" and design their foreign policies based on a notion that the safety and dignity of people has become an international concern.

Tokyo and Ottawa will also strive to promote nuclear nonproliferation and disarmament, and reduce small arms, the document says. It praises their joint efforts so far to remove land mines in Azerbaijan and border areas between Peru and Ecuador.

Meanwhile, the two countries underlined the importance of nongovernmental organizations in working toward peace, noting that they can be strong and effective partners in this field.