Japan and the United States plan to hold the inaugural meeting of a deputy ministerial-level economic forum in Washington early next month, government sources said.

The first meeting, which will probably be held Oct. 7, comes nearly three months after Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi and U.S. President George W. Bush agreed to establish the forum as a cornerstone of the U.S.-Japan Economic Partnership for Growth.

Although the forum's first meeting was originally set for Sept. 15 in Tokyo, it was postponed due to the terrorist attacks in the United States earlier that week.

Officials have since tried to reschedule the meeting to fall before Bush's planned mid-October visit to Tokyo.

Although the U.S. president was to visit Japan en route to attending an annual summit of the 21-member Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation forum in Shanghai, the U.S. announced Tuesday that the Japan leg has been postponed.

Washington was apparently chosen because high-level U.S. officials are preoccupied with preparations for possible strikes against terrorists.

The forum's first meeting is almost certain to be held on a Sunday, rather than on a weekday, to make it easier for high-level Bush administration officials to spare time, the sources added.

Among the Japanese delegation will be Shotaro Oshima, deputy foreign minister for economic affairs, and Hidehiro Konno, vice minister for external affairs at the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry. ; and Haruhiko Kuroda, deputy finance minister for international affairs.

Finance ministers and central bank governors from the Group of Seven major industrialized countries are expected to meet in Washington around Oct. 6 to discuss the global economic fallout from the terrorist attacks.

The Finance Ministry's Kuroda is expected to attend the Japan-U.S. economic dialogue forum after the G7 meeting.

Topics slated for discussion include a proposed new round of global trade liberalizations to be launched in November and the APEC summit in Shanghai, the sources said.

It is also possible that participants will discuss cooperation in fighting terrorism through economic means.

The deputy ministerial-level forum, which is to meet annually, will serve as an umbrella group overseeing four working-level groups that Koizumi and Bush also agreed to set up.

The groups will deal with trade, foreign direct investment, financial and monetary affairs and regulatory reform and competition policy.

Although Koizumi and Bush had also agreed to establish a round-table of government officials and private business leaders to complement the economic forum's meeting, that part of the talks will not be held next month, the sources said.