U.S. and Japan seek balance
WASHINGTON (AP)—The Unit
ed States and Japan resumed efforts
Wednesday to find ways to open Ja
pan’s markets, but U.S. Trade Repre
sentative Mickey Kantor cautioned
against expecting any immediate break
throughs.
Japanese Trade Minister Ryutaro
Hashimoto held talks with both Kantor
and Commerce Secretary Ron Brown
as both sides searched for ways to break
the stalemate in contentious negotia
tions aimed at lowering Japanese trade
barriers.
The United States is threatening to
impose trade sanctionson Japan ifagrcc
ment is not reached in one of the areas
— government purchases — by Sept.
30. Two other priority areas under dis
cussion arc iasurance and autos and
auto parts.
Kantor refused to characterize the
status of the talks in any of the areas but
he indicated that the discussioas were
likely to go right up to the Sept. 30
deadline.
“I hope we can make progress, but I
wouldn’t expect any dramatic an
nouncements or breakthroughs in the
near term,” Kantor told reporters.
After his meeting with Brown,
Hashimoto joked that “there was no
fatal attack” but he refused to provide
any details of how the discussions went.
In addition to Hashimoto, Japanese
Foreign Minister Yohei Kono was sched
uled to meet with Kantor on Thursday.
On Tuesday, Walter Mondale, Amer
ica’s ambassador to J apan, told a Wash
ington audience that the United States
hopes to resolve the current disputes
without resorting to trade sanctions.
Kantor refused to speculate about
what the United States might do if there
is no agreement in the government
purchases area by a Sept. 30 deadline.
American companies are pushing
for the Japanese government to open up
its bid procedures specifically in the
areas of medical equipment and tele
communications products.
Government purchases, autos and
auto parts and insurance were the top
priority areas designated more than a
year ago when both countries launched
what was known as the “framework”
talks, w hue initial aeais were supposcu
to have been reached last February, the
talks instead broke down over Japan’s
refusal to accept numerical benchmarks
for measuring progress.
The fight over this issue remains at
the center of the negotiations with the
search continuing for ways to measure
market-opening progress that would be
acceptable to both sides.
Kantor was scheduled to continue
his talks with the Japanese on Thursday
in Los Angeles in advance of weekend
meetings with the world’s top trading
countries.
Those discussions will involve the
trade ministers from Japan, Canada
and the European Union.
Kantor told reporters that one of the
issues on the agenda will be ways to
revive a U.S. proposal to launch a new
round of talks aimed at lowering global
trade barriers.
While Canada and Japan generally
support this proposal, it has met oppo
sition from the EU.
Joint effort endorsed
TOTSK, Russia (AP) — Slam
ming nationalists who have decried
joint peacekeeping exercises as a
violationof sovereignty, Russia’s top
general gave a resounding endorse
ment to training with the U.S. mili
tary. .
Defense Minister Pavel Grachev
pledged Wednesday to double Rus
sia’s contingent next year, and criti
cizedopponentsofthcjointexereiscs
as short-sighted.
“Those whoare today against this
peacekeeping exercise, let them re
memDer ivjh, saiu vjracncv, re
calling baibaric nuclear testing that
took place 40 years ago on the plains
of Totsk, 700 miles southeast of
Moscow.
“I believe that the very effect of the
joint American-Russian peacekeep
ing exercise has global significance.
Those who misunderstand are only
those who arc short-sighted or the
forces who play a political part dur
ing the exercises ” he told a group of
mostly Russian soldiers at the base
auditorium.
NetSra&kan
Editor Jeff Zeleny Night News Editors Chris Main
472-1766 Doug Kouma
FAX NUMBER 472-1761
The Daily NebraskanfUSPS 144 080) is published by the UNL Publicajions Board. Ne
braska Union 34, 1400 R St., Lincoln, NE 68588-0448, Monday through Fnday during the
academic vear weekly during summer sessions. . _ ..
Baders are encouraged to submrt story ideas and comments to the Daily Nebraskan by
phoning 472-1763 between 9 ajn. and 5 p.m. Monday through Fnday. TTw publto also has
access to the Publications Board. For information, contact Tim Hedegaard, 436-9258,
Postmaster lend addrws*changes ^to the Daily Nebraskan, Nebraska Union 34,1400 R
SUiKdn. NE ®g»,««RS£^KSS!Xro«l.y"NMB«K*N
“Simplify, simplify.”
Henry David Thoreau
“Hey, that’s not a bad idea!’
AT&T
AKST Universal MasterCard.
The credit, cadi and calling card. All in one.
The AT&T Universal MasterCard. No annual fee—ever Access to cash at over 350,000 locations.
Plus an AT&T calling card. Because life should be contemplated. Not complicated.
GUI 1800 438-8627to request an application
C1994 AWT
Aiur
r. m;um:
X; mcvaiis
2348 N ST.
Lincoln, NE 435-7722
1994 SPECIALIZED bikes
CLEARANCE
PRICED
I AVAILABLE NOW
Lap Lounge...
Portable Lap-Desk
$29.95
NEBR4SK4
BOOKSTORE
13th A Q Stmt • 473-0111
Monday Saturday Sam-0pm
Sunday Moon -S pm • Thuroday urdBS P*>
