Palau President Thomas Remengesau Jr. urged Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi on Friday to host a second summit of Japan and Pacific island nations, a Japanese government official said.
The group held its inaugural gathering last year.
In talks at the Prime Minister's Official Residence, Remengesau said he hopes Koizumi will organize a summit in Japan in the next few years as promised by former Prime Minister Yoshiro Mori, according to the official.
Koizumi said he would make good on the promise, according to the official.
The first summit of Japan and 16 members of the South Pacific Forum was held in Miyazaki, Miyazaki Prefecture, in April 2000. Mori hosted the conference.
In Friday's meeting, Remengesau said his country, along with other island nations in the region, appreciated Japan's efforts to ratify the 1997 Kyoto Protocol aimed at combating global warming.
Koizumi said he is aware that global warming is a great concern to those countries, as they are vulnerable to rises in sea level.
Remengesau, who arrived in Japan on Wednesday for an eight-day visit, invited Koizumi to visit Palau, according to the official.