Canada and Japan announce new Canada-Japan Forum

Prime Minister Chrétien and Prime Minister Hashimoto today announced the establishment of the Canada-Japan Forum, a new independent bilateral dialogue mechanism to expand bilateral relations and support new and existing non-governmental ties.

"Increased Canadian-Japanese cooperation in non-governmental sectors will strengthen and extend our healthy relationship," said Mr. Chrétien. "It will also create greater public awareness of the value to both sides of Canada-Japan ties."

The co-chairs for Canada and Japan respectively are the Honourable Edward C. Lumley, former Minister for International Trade, and Mr. Hiroshi Kitamura, former Japanese Ambassador to Canada. The initial membership will be composed of five members from each country, who are appointed for three-year terms. The Forum will hold formal annual meetings alternately in Canada and Japan.

A meeting between the two co-chairs will take place during the Prime Minister's visit to Japan. They will discuss the first full meeting of the Forum to be held in Canada in 1997, which has been designated Canada's Year of Asia Pacific.

The creation of this new Forum is one result of the deliberations of the Canada-Japan Forum 2000, established in May 1991 to review the bilateral partnership and propose future directions.

Biographies for Mr. Lumley and Ambassador Kitamura are attached.

PMO Press Office: (613) 957-5555

The Honourable Edward C. Lumley, P.C.
Vice Chairman of Nesbitt Burns Inc.

Edward Lumley began his illustrious career as an entrepreneur and public figure in 1964, after graduating from Assumption University of Windsor with a bachelor of commerce degree. In 1974, he became Member of Parliament for Stormont-Dundas and went on to serve in numerous Cabinet portfolios, including Minister of International Trade (1980) and Minister of Industry and Trade & Commerce (1982). In 1985, he became President of E.C.L. Associates Inc., a management consulting company. The following year he was named chairman of Noranda Manufacturing Inc. He became Vice Chairman of Burns Fry Ltd. in 1990, prior to being named Vice Chairman of Nesbitt Burns Inc. in 1994. Mr. Lumley currently sits on the boards of nine companies including Canadian National Railway, Bombardier, Aerospace Group, Air Canada, and Magna International Inc.

Mr. Hiroshi Kitamura
Former Ambassador of Japan to Canada

Mr. Hiroshi Kitamura has enjoyed a successful career in the Japanese foreign service. Having graduated from the Faculty of Law at Tokyo University, he spent a year at the Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy in Massachusetts before joining the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in 1953. Mr. Kitamura's overseas assignments include Washington, D.C., and New York in the 1950s, New Delhi and London in the 60s, and Paris in the 70s. He was a Fellow at the Centre for International Affairs (CFIA) at Harvard University in 1970. He has also served as executive assistant to the Prime Minister (1974), deputy Vice-Minister (1984) and Deputy Minister for Foreign Affairs (1987). He also acted as the Prime Minister's personal representative in 1987 and 1988. Before retiring, Mr. Kitamura served as Ambassador to Canada from 1988 to 1991 and to the United Kingdom from 1991 to 1994.