Fuwa and Shii congratulate Roh on inauguration as South Korean President

Japanese Communist Party Central Committee Chair Fuwa Tetsuzo and Executive Committee Chair Shii Kazuo sent a message congratulating Roh Moo Hyun on his taking office on February 25 as South Korea's new president. The text of the message is as follows:

Mr. Roh Moo Myun, president of the Republic of South Korea

We offer you our sincere congratulations on your inauguration as the president of the Republic of South Korea.

We wish that your call for a government with popular participation, transparency, and fairness will serve as a powerful milestone for the development of democracy in your country. We believe that it will greatly help promote the peaceful solution of the various issues between South Korea and North Korea and pave the way for a new era for a united Korean Peninsula based on peace and prosperity.

Japan and South Korea are part of Northeast Asia. This fact makes it essential for Japan, South Korea, and North Korea to build peaceful and stable relationships that are necessary for peace in Northeast Asia and the rest of the world in the 21st century. To achieve this, we think it important for the countries concerned to be earnest and sincere in pursuing this task and strictly observe the United Nations Charter provisions for peace and a negotiated settlement of disputes by rejecting policies of giving military measures priority.

The Japanese Communist Party was founded 80 years ago, demanding people's sovereignty and democracy in Japan and opposing Japanese imperialism's colonial rule over Korea and its war of aggression against other Asian countries. Since the end of WW II, the JCP has been doing all it can to consistently realize a government in which people will be the key players, with social progress and peace in Asia and the rest of the world, the right of all nations for self-determination, and a total ban on nuclear weapons.

We earnestly hope that friendship between Japan and South Korea will further develop, firmly based on the lessons of history and with a great perspective for the future.

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JCP Fuwa and Shii also expressed condolences to the president over the subway fire accident in Daegu. (end)