Japan on Saturday presented an initiative aimed at enhancing cooperation with East Asian and Latin American countries over the environment as foreign ministers and officials from 34 nations gathered in Tokyo to discuss climate change and other issues.
The situation in quake-hit Haiti also drew the attention of the foreign ministers of the member states of the Forum for East Asia-Latin America Cooperation. In a statement issued the same day, they called for "continued efforts to rescue the victims and support the reconstruction" of the impoverished Caribbean nation.
At the opening ceremony, Prime Minister Yukio Hatoyama promised that Japan, based on its experience as a country prone to earthquakes, would "offer its best possible cooperation" to Haiti.
While noting the importance of cooperation between East Asia and Latin America, which he said would be the "origin of the world's growth," Hatoyama also touched on climate change issues and said, "There may be various opinions, but let's work together toward a larger goal."
The meeting is expected to end Sunday with the issuing of a Tokyo Declaration affirming cooperation between the two regions in various fields.
The participants will also discuss the future of the forum, which was established in 1999 to promote mutual trust, political dialogue and friendly cooperation among member states.
Mongolia is taking part in this year's meeting for the first time, joining 15 other Asian countries, including Japan, China and South Korea, and 18 Latin American countries, such as Argentina, Brazil and Cuba.