[Brief translation]
The 1st Tokyo Conference on Japan's Cooperation for the Middle East, co-sponsored by the Japan Cooperation Center for the Middle East and the Nihon Keizai Shimbun, was held on February 3 in the nation's capital to explore a new relationship between Japan and the Middle East. The conference had over 240 participants from industry, government, and academia, who actively discussed such topics as the reconstruction of Iraq, the Palestinian issue, and the democratization of Middle Eastern nations. A "Tokyo Declaration" was adopted as a guideline for international contributions to stabilize the Middle East as an important energy-supplying region for Japan.

2nd Panel Discussion: Creating an Environment in the Middle East for Goods, People, and Work Opportunities
Panelists: Yasushi Kaito, Senior Vice President of NEC Corp.; Yasuo Sone, President of SPDC, Ltd.; Kiminao Satomi, President of Xenesys Inc.; Akira Okabe, Managing Officer of Toyota Motor Corp.; Masayuki Takashima, Senior Executive Vice President of Mitsubishi Corp.; Norio Shoji, Director of Mitsui & Co.

Emcee: What opportunity is there for your venture firm? Satomi: Xenesys has 31 employees and we are working to generate electricity using seawater temperature differential. We introduced a plan to Saudi Arabia to utilize the heated effluent from the oil industry. Our company does not have enough funds, but the Saudi Arabia proposed a joint venture, and now we are laying the groundwork for that. I look forward to the intellectual exchange with young Saudis.