Japanese FM Announces Foreign Ministry Reform Program

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Last updated at: (Beijing Time) Thursday, August 22, 2002

Japanese FM Announces Foreign Ministry Reform Program

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Japanese Foreign Minister Yoriko Kawaguchi on Wednesday announced a reform program for her scandal-tainted ministry with rules such as 20% of ambassadors will be from outside the ministry and another 20% will be so-called non-career track ministry officials.

The new reform program also stipulates that career-track, or elite, bureaucrats who have not worked as division directors at the Foreign Ministry headquarters cannot become ambassadors.

The plan is based on a final report compiled last month by an advisory body to the foreign minister following a series of scandals involving ministry officials such as embezzlement of public money.

Kawaguchi told a press conference that the term of office for vice foreign ministers will be extended from the current one or two years to around three in a bid to strengthen their leadership.

She is to hold the first meeting of a reform promotion headquarters headed by herself and instruct its staff to carry out the reforms.

The headquarters will continue discussions about reforms, including organizational changes, so it will be able to reach conclusions by the end of this year.

Source: Agencies

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