Visiting Japanese Foreign Minister Nobutaka Machimura said in Jerusalem on Sunday that Japan wants to further expand defense cooperation with Israel.  

Machimura said his talks with Israeli Foreign Minister Silvan Shalom focused on expanding bilateral cooperation in counter-terror expertise and defense.

Last December, Japan approved new defense guidelines that include the relaxation of an arms export ban to facilitate a missile security program it is researching with Washington. Japan's constitution, unchanged since it was written after World War II, renounces war and the use of force in settling international disputes.

Israel has the only operational anti-missile defense system, the Arrow, developed jointly with the United States. Machimura, who is in the region for talks with both the Israelis and the Palestinians, said Japan wants to play a greater role in the Middle East peace process.

During the talks, Shalom said the two countries agreed to work toward a bilateral trade of US$3 billion in the next five years, up from the current US$1.8 billion.

Machimura said Japan wants to help bring Israel and the Palestinians back to the negotiating table.

Earlier Sunday, Machimura promised that Japan would continue its financial support to the Palestinian National Authority (PNA).

Machimura told reporters in the West Bank city of Ramallah after talks with newly elected Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas that Japan has approved an extra US$60 million of aid to the Palestinians, on top of US$30 million previously promised by the country.

"The Japanese government will exert efforts to support the PNA in humanitarian and financial issues," said the top Japanese diplomat.

Palestinian official sources said Abbas briefed Machimura on the latest developments in the region and the ongoing Israeli military actions in the Palestinian territories.

Earlier when Machimura arrived at the PNA's headquarters in Ramallah, he placed a wreath of flowers on the grave of the late Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat who died on November 11, 2004. Machimura has also met with Palestinian Foreign Minister Nabil Shaath and the two ministers discussed the Palestinian presidential election held on January 9 in the Palestinian territories. Shaath said the talks also covered security and economical issues including Palestinians' high unemployment rate and the peace process with Israel. 

(Xinhua News Agency January 17, 2005)