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World Economic Forum on East Asia to move to Japan for the first time
Prime Minister Koizumi to host opening at Kantei

12 April 2006 - Geneva, Switzerland

Read this press release in Japanese

The World Economic Forum, in partnership with Keizai Doyukai (Japan Association of Corporate Executives), today announced its World Economic Forum on East Asia, which will be held in Tokyo on 15 and 16 June 2006.

The Forum’s first ever regional event in Japan will bring together 250 top global leaders from business, politics, government, academia, civil society and the media. Those gathering in Tokyo will focus on how to address Asia’s most important economic and business challenges in an informal, peer-to-peer setting. Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi will host a welcoming reception for participants at the Kantei, his official residence.

The theme of this year’s meeting is Creating a New Agenda for Asian Integration, which reflects the growing need for regional institutions to explore the future viability of Asia’s current growth model and to adapt to the global forces reshaping Asia’s business environment in such sectors as IT, telecommunications, finance and energy. “Strong growth in China and India, coupled with Japan’s recent recovery, forces us to rethink today how the East Asian community is likely to evolve in the coming years,” remarked Lee Howell, the Forum’s Asia Director. “New issues, both global and regional in origin, are emerging that require stakeholders to take another look at Asia’s existing institutional architecture to address them,” added Howell.

"Keizai Doyukai is delighted to co-host the World Economic Forum on East Asia as we celebrate our 60th anniversary this year," remarked its Chairman Kakutaro Kitashiro. "As Japan's recovery continues, it is important for the country's business and political leaders to refocus their attention on the importance of deepening regional integration," added Kitashiro.

The Co-Chairs for the World Economic Forum on East Asia are Hassan Marican, President and Chief Executive Officer, PETRONAS (Petroliam Nasional), Malaysia; Henry A. McKinnell, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, Pfizer, USA; Kunio Nakamura, President, Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Japan; Nandan M. Nilekani, President, Chief Executive Officer and Managing Director, Infosys Technologies, India; Sir Martin Sorrell, Group Chief Executive, WPP, United Kingdom; Junichi Ujiie, Chairman, Nomura Holdings, Japan; and Yun Jong-Yong, Vice-Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, Samsung Electronics, Republic of Korea.

Underpinning various roundtable discussions are four “Asia Forum” plenary sessions that have been organized for participants from Tokyo-based business, media and academic institutions. These four plenary sessions (Asia Forums) will focus on outcomes related to the following topics:

· Asia’s Growth Model: Can It Continue to Sustain Itself?
· Corporate Asia: Who Is Climbing the Value-Added Ladder?
· An East Asian Community: Is There a Design that Can Deliver?
· The Japan that Returned: Does It Look Like the Rest of Asia?

NOTE TO THE MEDIA: Should you wish to cover this event, please sign up and submit your accreditation request at our new online registration website. Please note that the deadline for press accreditation is Friday 2 June. Accreditation will not be granted after that date or on the spot.

More information about the meeting.

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