KUALA LUMPUR, March 3: Japan's vice finance minister for international affairs Eisuke Sakakibara said on Tuesday his country was prepared to take fresh measures to ensure a robust recovery in the domestic economy and the region."We have taken necessary measures and continue to address the problem recognising that Japan is anchor economy in the region," Sakakibara told a news conference in the Malaysian capital. "We will continue to do whatever is necessary to restore the confidence and achieve a robust economic recovery in Japan and the region," he added, without giving further details.
Sakakibara is on a three-nation tour of south-east Asia to discuss ways out of the economic crisis facing the region. He defended Japan's economic management after recent criticism by the Group of Seven (G7) and said its economic fundamentals were quite strong and had been underestimated. "We are doing whatever we could to strengthen the domestic economy. I do not share the G7 criticism of the Japanese economicmanagement," he said in response to questions after a meeting with Malaysian deputy prime minister Anwar Ibrahim.
Japan has been under pressure from its fellow G7 to liberalise its economy and open up to more imports.G7, led by the US, has been trying to persuade Tokyo to take fiscal steps to stimulate its economy and help the rest of Asia recover.
Copyright © 1998 Indian Express Newspapers (Bombay) Ltd.
