VZCZCXRO0209
PP RUEHAST RUEHCHI RUEHDT RUEHHM RUEHLN RUEHMA RUEHNH RUEHPB RUEHPOD
RUEHTM
DE RUEHKO #2933/01 2950742
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
P 210742Z OCT 08
FM AMEMBASSY TOKYO
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 8086
INFO RUCNASE/ASEAN MEMBER COLLECTIVE PRIORITY
RUEHZN/ENVIRONMENT SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY COLLECTIVE PRIORITY
RUEHBJ/AMEMBASSY BEIJING PRIORITY 5928
RUEHRL/AMEMBASSY BERLIN PRIORITY 1516
RUEHBR/AMEMBASSY BRASILIA PRIORITY 0432
RUEHBY/AMEMBASSY CANBERRA PRIORITY 2820
RUEHJA/AMEMBASSY JAKARTA PRIORITY 4387
RUEHLJ/AMEMBASSY LJUBLJANA PRIORITY 0120
RUEHLO/AMEMBASSY LONDON PRIORITY 2215
RUEHML/AMEMBASSY MANILA PRIORITY 1258
RUEHME/AMEMBASSY MEXICO PRIORITY 0541
RUEHMO/AMEMBASSY MOSCOW PRIORITY 2568
RUEHNE/AMEMBASSY NEW DELHI PRIORITY 8595
RUEHOT/AMEMBASSY OTTAWA PRIORITY 9736
RUEHFR/AMEMBASSY PARIS PRIORITY 6293
RUEHSA/AMEMBASSY PRETORIA PRIORITY 0303
RUEHRO/AMEMBASSY ROME PRIORITY 2183
RUEHUL/AMEMBASSY SEOUL PRIORITY 1928
RUEHFK/AMCONSUL FUKUOKA PRIORITY 0482
RUEHNAG/AMCONSUL NAGOYA PRIORITY 8534
RUEHNH/AMCONSUL NAHA PRIORITY 2838
RUEHOK/AMCONSUL OSAKA KOBE PRIORITY 4229
RUEHKSO/AMCONSUL SAPPORO PRIORITY 1055
RUEAEPA/HQ EPA WASHDC PRIORITY
RUEHGV/USMISSION GENEVA PRIORITY 3420
RHEHAAA/WHITE HOUSE WASHDC PRIORITY
RUEHBS/USEU BRUSSELS PRIORITY
RULSDMK/DEPT OF TRANSPORTATION WASHINGTON DC PRIORITY
RUCPDOC/DEPT OF COMMERCE WASHINGTON DC PRIORITY
RHEHAAA/NSC WASHDC PRIORITY
RHMCSUU/DEPT OF ENERGY WASHINGTON DC PRIORITY
UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 TOKYO 002933
SIPDIS
DOS/OES FOR HARLAN WATSON AND DREW NELSON
NSC FOR PAUL BROWN AND JONATHAN SHRIER
CEQ FOR LANDON VAN DYKE
DOT FOR LINDA LAWSON AND CAMILLE MITTELHOLTZ
FAA FOR CARL BURLESON
EPA FOR CHRISTOPHER GRUNDLER
E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: ELTN EWWT EAIR PREL AORC JA
SUBJECT: TRANSPORTATION, ENERGY AND ENVIRONMENT MINISTERIAL
RESCHEDULED TO JANUARY 14-16
REF: A. TOKYO 2778
B. TOKYO 1656
C. TOKYO 2441
TOKYO 00002933 001.2 OF 002
1. The Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and
Tourism (MLIT) will convene the rescheduled Ministerial
Conference on Global Environment and Energy in Transport
(MEET) January 14-16, 2009 in Tokyo. On October 21, MLIT
delivered by fax copies of the following letter from MLIT
Minister Kaneko addressed to DOT Secretary Peters and EPA
Administrator Johnson. The Japanese Embassy in Washington
will deliver the original invitations, according to MLIT.
2. Begin text:
October 20, 2008
Dear Madam/Sir,
It is with great pleasure that I inform you of my appointment
as Minister of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism on
September 29, 2008.
Allow me to take this opportunity to present my compliments
and convey my deep appreciation for your cooperation in the
Ministerial Conference on Global Environment and Energy in
Transport (MEET).
However, it is regrettable that I must inform you that the
MEET originally scheduled from October 22 to 24, has been
postponed, due to the unexpected political circumstances in
Japan. Please accept my sincere apologies for causing you
and your colleagues inconvenience.
Today I would like to announce that the MEET will now be held
from January 14 to 16, 2009, and I cordially invite you to
attend. Please find the revised program attached for your
reference.
International cooperation aimed at tackling issues in the
field of transport, including climate change, energy
efficiency and urban air pollution, is urgent and critical.
To this end, I would like to join with you to demonstrate our
political will toward creating low-carbon and low-pollution
transport systems through the MEET. It is my sincere hope
that you can participate in the MEET and share your esteemed
views and experiences with the other ministers and heads of
related international organizations, for the future of this
planet we share.
The Department of Transportation/The Environmental Protection
TOKYO 00002933 002.2 OF 002
Agency, United States of America and the Ministry of Land,
Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism, Japan have maintained
close relationships over various areas of transport in the
past, and I hope that our mutual cooperation in the run-up to
the MEET will further enhance our friendly relationship.
I am looking forward to meeting you at the MEET and with you
continued good health and prosperity.
Sincerely yours,
Kazuyoshi Kaneko
Minister of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism
Government of Japan.
End text.
3. Emboffs had noted earlier to senior MLIT officials that
the revised timing could easily prove problematic for the
U.S. The MLIT officials, however, responded that the need to
work around the Diet schedule -- Japanese ministers need to
be available to be called to the Diet whenever it is in
session -- precluded other dates for the proposed ministerial.
SCHIEFFER