On 16 June, Ambassador Philip L. Verveer, U.S. Coordinator for International Communications and Information Policy, met with Kazuhiro Haraguchi, Minister for Internal Affairs and Communications of Japan and discussed a range of issues of mutual interest, including cyber-security of commercial networks, Internet governance, the freedom to connect and communicate, coordination of efforts in international fora, standards, and market principles. Both sides agreed it would be valuable to continue senior-level bilateral dialogue between the United States and Japan on these broad Internet Economy policy issues, with a focus on a shared recognition of developments in the ICT field in both countries and cooperation on global challenges.
While in Tokyo, Ambassador Verveer also participated in a Global ICT Summit, organized by the Communications Ministry and Nikkei, and in a symposium on US-Japan partnership on Internet Economy issues, sponsored by the American Chamber of Commerce in Japan and Keio University, which highlighted the strong industry and private sector interest in these issues. He also met with other senior Japanese government officials, representatives of U.S. and Japanese industry, and several leading academic experts.