ETHIOPIAN PRIME MINISTER MELES ZENAWI ON SUNDAY ASSURED VISITING JAPANESE PREMIER JUNICHIRO KOIZUMI OF HIS GOVERNMENT'S UNQUALIFIED SUPPORT FOR TOKYO'S CAMPAIGN TO SECURE A PERMANENT SEAT WITH THE UNITED NATIONS SECURITY COUNCIL, ACCORDING TO DPA. THE ASSURANCE WAS GIVEN DURING THE FIRST ROUND OF TALKS IN ADDIS ABABA ON BILATERAL RELATIONS AND INTERNATIONAL ISSUES OF MUTUAL INTEREST. SPEAKING TO REPORTERS FOLLOWING THE "FRUITFUL" TALKS, THE ETHIOPIAN LEADER SAID THAT THE DISCUSSIONS COVERED REFORM OF THE UN SECURITY COUNCIL, DELIBERATIONS ON WHICH WILL BEGIN AMONG THE UN'S 191 MEMBERS IN SEPTEMBER. KOIZUMI SAID IT WAS REASSURING TO GET ETHIOPIA'S SUPPORT FOR HIS COUNTRY'S CANDIDACY FOR A PERMANENT SEAT "AS THIS COUNTRY ENJOYS AN IMPORTANT PLACE IN AFRICA AS THE SEAT OF THE AFRICAN UNION AND OTHER REGIONAL ORGANIZATIONS." HE SAID THE TWO SIDES HAD A CANDID EXCHANGE OF VIEWS ON BILATERAL RELATIONS AND INTERNATIONAL ISSUES, INCLUDING THE PROPOSED REFORM OF THE UN AND THE CANDIDACY OF THE GROUP OF FOUR (G4) -JAPAN, BRAZIL, GERMANY AND INDIA - FOR A PERMANENT SECURITY COUNCIL SEAT. --MORE 1954 Local Time 1654 GMT
