Cablegate: Wirec: Formal Invitation Delivered

VZCZCXRO8489
PP RUEHFK RUEHKSO RUEHNAG RUEHNH
DE RUEHKO #0083 0100854
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
P 100854Z JAN 08
FM AMEMBASSY TOKYO
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 0878
INFO RUEHFK/AMCONSUL FUKUOKA PRIORITY 5402
RUEHNAG/AMCONSUL NAGOYA PRIORITY 4090
RUEHNH/AMCONSUL NAHA PRIORITY 7797
RUEHOK/AMCONSUL OSAKA KOBE PRIORITY 9067
RUEHKSO/AMCONSUL SAPPORO PRIORITY 6019
RHMCSUU/DEPT OF ENERGY WASHINGTON DC PRIORITY
RUCPDOC/DEPT OF COMMERCE WASHINGTON DC PRIORITY
RUEHRC/DEPT OF AGRICULTURE WASHINGTON DC PRIORITY

UNCLAS TOKYO 000083

SIPDIS

SENSITIVE
SIPDIS

DEPT FOR OES - STAN SPECHT AND CAMILLE HILL
DEPT ALSO FOR EAP/J - HEATHER DRESSER

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: ENRG SENV TRGY EPET EAID SOCI KSCA KGHG KPAO
JA
SUBJECT: WIREC: FORMAL INVITATION DELIVERED

REF: STATE 521

Sensitive but Unclassified, please handle accordingly.

1. (SBU) As requested in ref, EMIN met with MOFA
Director-General for Economic Affairs Yoichi Otabe January 10
to deliver the Secretary's formal invitation to Foreign
Minister Koumura to attend the March 2008 Washington
International Renewable Energy Conference (WIREC 2008).
Otabe appreciated the invitation and said he would
immediately pass it to the Minister. He noted and supported
the suggestion made by the Japanese Embassy in Washington to
send copies directly to the Ministers at the Ministry of
Economy, Trade, and Industry (METI), the Ministry of
Agriculture, Forestry, and Fisheries (MAFF), and the Ministry
of the Environment (MOE) to encourage ministerial
participation. At the same time, however, he noted the Diet
session could make it difficult for top-level GOJ officials
to travel in March, when key budgetary decisions will be
made. Otabe asked that the Embassy provide information about
the participation by the Secretary and other U.S. Cabinet
members in WIREC.

2. Post will forward copies of the invitation letter in ref
to Ministers at METI, MAFF, and MOE.

3. Post POC for WIREC activities is ESTH Officer Thomas
(Toby) Wolf.
DONOVAN

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